Liz Cheney Rips Trump Over His ‘Devotion to Putin’ and ‘Lies About History’
February 20, 2025
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Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Wednesday said President Donald Trump defies all values upheld by former President Ronald Reagan, a GOP icon, as Trump continues to sideline Ukraine, and sidle up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Trump—with his devotion to Putin, abandonment of Ukraine, and lies about history—is the antithesis of everything Ronald Reagan stood for,” Cheney, a fierce Trump critic, said in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
Panel Vice Chair Liz Cheney listens as the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 28, 2022. Panel Vice Chair Liz Cheney listens as the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 28, 2022. J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Why It Matters
Since his January 20 inauguration, Trump has spoken with Putin directly on the Ukraine war, and has vowed to meet the Russian strongman in continuance of peace negotiations.
In a notable thawing of tensions between Russia and the U.S., Trump even promised to visit Moscow, and said Putin would be welcome in Washington, D.C.
The president has also become increasingly hostile toward Ukraine.
On Tuesday, U.S. and Russia held discussions in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian representatives, sparking accusations that America was sidelining Ukraine and Europe in favor of Moscow. Later that day, Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war, which began in 2022 when Moscow’s tanks rolled into Kyiv.
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Trump of being influenced by Russian disinformation after his discussions with Putin, the U.S. president branded him a “dictator.”
President Donald Trump speaks at the Future Investment Initiative Institute summit in Miami Beach, Florida, on February 19. President Donald Trump speaks at the Future Investment Initiative Institute summit in Miami Beach, Florida, on February 19. Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivers a speech in West Berlin on June 12, 1987. Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivers a speech in West Berlin on June 12, 1987. Roland Scheidemann/AP
What To Know
Cheney, who became one of Trump’s staunchest Republican critics following the January 6 attack, compared his actions to those of Reagan, who presided over the downfall of the Soviet Union and famously once branded it the “evil empire.”
“He is aligning America with the enemies of the very freedom that generations have fought and died to defend,” Cheney wrote of Trump.
“History will not be kind to those who are helping him, especially those who call themselves Reagan Republicans while they pretend not to see what’s happening.”
Cheney previously urged Americans to oppose Trump during his second administration to protect “our constitutional republic.”
Trump has not responded to Cheney’s latest criticism, but he has previously called for her to be jailed over her role as co-chair of the House January 6 committee investigating the 2021 siege on the U.S. Capitol, and suggested someone should point a rifle at her.
What People Are Saying
In November, Trump said of Cheney: “She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
During a 1984 presidential debate, Reagan said of the Soviet Union that he felt “many of the things that they have done are evil in any concept of morality that we have. I also recognize that as the two great superpowers in the world, we have to live with each other.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz, involved in the U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, told reporters Wednesday: “President Trump is focused on … ending the fighting, going to a ceasefire and having a broader agreement. That started with this call with President Putin last week, he immediately had a call with President Zelensky. They have a term for this in diplomacy, called shuttle diplomacy. I don’t think anyone should be really, I don’t know, criticizing the president for trying to drive this to a diplomatic solution.”
What Happens Next
Trump said he will “probably” meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia in the “not-too-distant future.” Bloomberg reports the meeting could occur before the end of the month.
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