Liz Cheney Challenges Speaker Mike Johnson: ‘We Did Not Agree to Disagree’ Over Trump Threat
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Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, are among several prominent right-wing conservatives supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. This group also includes former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), former national security aide Olivia Troye, and former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.
While Cheney has moved away from supporting her own party’s nominee, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) remains a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. Johnson and Cheney, once allies, now stand on opposite sides of the political divide. Johnson has maintained that he and Cheney have “agreed to disagree” over whether Trump poses a threat to democracy.
However, a recent exchange between the two revealed a more strained relationship. According to Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke, Cheney and Johnson engaged in a “tense text exchange” that challenged Johnson’s version of their relationship.
In an article published on October 21, Brufke wrote, “Cheney disputed Johnson’s characterization of the exchange, telling Axios that she and the speaker ‘used to be friends, but we did not ‘agree to disagree.’” Cheney’s rebuttal came after Johnson said he had not spoken to her in a “very long time” but reached out following her recent critical remarks.
Cheney has been vocal about her concerns regarding Johnson’s role as House Speaker, especially in light of his allegiance to Trump. During an NBC News interview on October 13, she warned, “I do not have faith that Mike Johnson will fulfill his constitutional obligation.”
Though Johnson is not known for the inflammatory rhetoric typical of many MAGA Republicans and is often described as soft-spoken and polite to his political opponents, his stance on Trump has drawn sharp criticism from Cheney. In response to their exchange, Johnson expressed disappointment, telling Axios, “We had a little debate in conversation, on text message, back and forth and agreed to disagree.”
Cheney, however, took a stronger position. In her statement to Axios, she argued, “Had Mike been acting as a lawyer representing Trump, he would have been sanctioned, disbarred or indicted for taking those positions — just as several Trump lawyers were.” She highlighted the rulings of conservative judges and the testimony of Trump’s own White House lawyers who rejected the legal arguments that Johnson supported.
Cheney concluded, “If Trump is somehow elected, neither Mike nor anyone else will be able to control him,” a dire warning about the future of democracy should Trump return to power.
