Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning

by Liz Cheney (Author/Narrator)

Read by Liz Cheney with 50+ audio source material clips included, Oath and Honor is a gripping first-hand account from inside the halls of Congress as Donald Trump and his enablers betrayed the American people and the Constitution—leading to the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th, 2021—by the House Republican leader who dared to stand up to it.

In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump and many around him, including certain other elected Republican officials, intentionally breached their oath to the Constitution: they ignored the rulings of dozens of courts, plotted to overturn a lawful election, and provoked a violent attack on our Capitol.

Liz Cheney, one of the few Republican officials to take a stand against these efforts, witnessed the attack first-hand, and then helped lead the Congressional Select Committee investigation into how it happened. In Oath and Honor, she tells the story of this perilous moment in our history, those who helped Trump spread the stolen election lie, those whose actions preserved our constitutional framework, and the risks we still face.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Memoir, History, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir

372 pages, Audible Audio

First published December 5, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth Cheney Perry, commonly called Liz, is an American attorney. During the George W. Bush administration years, she held positions in the State Department of the United States. She has been politically active on behalf of the Republican Party and is a co-founder of Keep America Safe.

She is the elder daughter of former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney.

Reviews

[William de_Rham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am through the first third of “Oath and Honor” by Liz Cheney. I’m learning a great deal—about the events arising from Election 2020 and former President Trump’s claims that it was “stolen”—about our Constitution and system of government—and about various members of Congress, some of whom currently hold leadership positions.

A lawyer and a former government official and Member of Congress, Ms. Cheney was an eye witness to and participant in many of the events she writes about, including most notably the counting of electoral votes and the ensuing riot at the capital. She tells her story succinctly with plain and clear prose that’s easy to read. Although the events she describes are highly dramatic, she does not over-dramatize them or engage in lurid descriptions. While she does not hesitate to tell us what she thinks and feels about those events and other participants, she does not engage in character assassination or self-aggrandizement. While she’s a conservative, she doesn’t get on a “hobby horse” about conservative issues. Her only concern, so far, is telling readers what happened and why it was, and continues to be, a threat to our Constitution, democracy, and freedoms. She uses research and facts and figures to support her arguments and a cool logic to debunk many of the myths and meritless claims put forth by election deniers.

Along the way, she discusses the Constitution, some of its provisions, and why the founders included them. One of the subtler points she makes is that the structure of government established by the constitution—the separation of powers amongst three branches of government each checking and balancing the others—affords us more protection, perhaps, than the Bill of Rights.

So far, this is a very good book, a must-read for anyone from either side of the aisle, hoping to gain an understanding of what happened during the election of 2020 and how our Constitution and government are meant to function. I have a feeling "Oath and Honor" will keep me up until the early hours of tomorrow morning.

More later.

UPDATE-

I’ve just finished “Oath and Honor.” I found the latter 2/3rds as compelling as the first. That 2/3rds covers the aftermath of the January 6th attack and includes, among other things: Congressional reactions to the riot, including those of various Republicans initially condemning Trump but later supporting him; Trump's second impeachment and Senate trial; Ms. Cheney’s loss of her leadership position, and ultimately her congressional seat, for opposing Trump; and the Congressional investigation and hearings concerning January 6th.

Ms. Cheney makes many points we need to listen to and be very concerned about. She also paints some very unflattering pictures of various members of Congress—pictures that call their fidelity to the Constitution, and even their honesty and sense of honor, into question. She also makes a compelling case that former President Trump engaged in a systematic attempt to subvert the election and hold on to power (i.e., steal the election) using a variety of illegal means, including deceit, fraud, threats, extortion, and incitements to riot and to do physical harm to others. I wrote above that she does not engage in character assassination, and she doesn’t. What she writes she seeks to prove with evidence.

Bottom line: “Oath and Honor” shows us the vast differences between what we want our politicians to be and what some have become. Most importantly, it demonstrates, time and time again, how crucial belief in and fealty to the Constitution is, not just for our elected officials (who swear a solemn oath to support and defend it), but for every citizen (and those hoping to become citizens). It is, after all, the instrument that protects our freedom.

[Andrea Mikeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I strongly I mean STRONGLY think as much as Liz is a hero, in her own right, she helped create this problem. Let’s not forget how Liz Cheney voted in 2016 & 2020. Let’s not also forget Liz Cheney supported some of the same people she is condemning in her book. She also did NOT vote to impeach Trump over the Zelenskyy call.

I do commend & respect her (personal opinions aside) for sacrificing her political career, reputation and safety to make sure everyone knew the truth.

I decided to read (listen to audiobook it’s worth the buy) this book because I do think Liz Cheney has valuable knowledge and insight on why our government is in the current state it is in (I also read Enough By Cassidy Hutchinson, so I’m invested/interested in this mess). I don’t think the people who NEED to read this book will, unfortunately. I LOVE THAT SHE DROPPED AUDIO RECEIPTS💀

After reading Cassidy Hutchinson’s book and now this, I believe them. “Surviving is all that matters”, “the things we do for Orange Jesus”, both quotes from sitting GOP members. I caught myself laughing at times but also realizing it’s not funny. It’s really scary what power Trump has. It is terrifying & disheartening that we have current sitting GOP members in our government and high profile journalists at FOX news, who know what REAL DANGER we are all in, yet STILL peddle the big lie or say 1/6 wasn’t real.

I believe Liz is truly scared for the state of our democracy. She knows first hand what her constituents are capable of. Especially now that she has been on both sides of the playing field. Kevin McCarthy knows deep down the damage he has created and done. We watched him realize that in real time, when he was removed as house speaker. I also believe that there are many other GOP members who are scared of what their lives will be AFTER Trump. That is why they are so loyal to the former president. We saw a lot of this play out in real time. People like Liz and Cassidy are just piecing together the timeline and dropping *tea*.

Just a note upon finishing: Mike Johnson is NOT a good person and SHOULD NOT be speaker of the house. He has no respect for our democracy. He is a fake evangelical and played a key role in January 6th.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oath and Honor is an educational book that explains the Constitution and the rule of law as it applies to the transfer of power after the 2020 election. While I don’t agree with any of Liz Cheney’s positions, I have the utmost respect for her moral ethics and backbone. She has more balls than the rest of the Republican leadership combined. This is a fascinating book that walks the reader through the events between November, 2020 and January, 2021 detailing exactly who did what. She then takes us through the House Select Committee meetings for the following 18 months. We watched the dominos fall as one by one, Republicans lost their gumption to stand against Trump. Neither Kevin McCarthy or Mike Johnson come off looking good. Cheney puts the lie to Johnson’s claim of himself as a constitutional law expert. And McCarthy comes off looking like a whore and a liar willing to sell himself. (What I didn’t realize was how McCarthy was viewed as a liar by his compatriots even before January 6th.)
At times, Cheney’s writing is redundant. But it is powerful. She intersperses actual clippings into the audiobook.
It’s again a reminder of how close to the precipice our country currently is and how continuing democracy is not a given.
My concern is that the only people that will read this book are the ones that already realize what a threat Trump is to our country.
Cheney narrates her own story and does a fine job, as you would expect from someone who is used to making speeches.

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sit on the far opposite end of the political spectrum from Liz Cheney, but I share her belief that the battle that faces us today is not a partisan one, but an American one. People on both sides of the political spectrum need to unite to preserve our constitutional form of government. It is hard for me to understand how anyone can support for office a person who refused to step down peacefully and incited others to commit violence.

The book clearly and meticulously outlines what is at stake if Donald Trump were to win another term and if at the local and state level we continue to elect politicians that prioritize winning over the rule of law.

I know that many on my side of the political spectrum have tried to minimize what Cheney did by standing up: She just did what she should have, nothing more. That is true, but so many did not and instead succumbed to the tremendous political pressure being placed on them or alternatively drank the proverbial Kool-aid. As history has shown us, it is the simple act of making the moral choice (saying no to hate, to the demonization of those not like oneself) that ultimately has the power to stop the inhuman. Liz Cheney has done that.

This book is a must-read for anyone who does not recognize the precipice on which we are currently standing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Let it never be said that the dedication of those who love freedom is less than the determination of those who would destroy it.” – Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

“We must abide by our duty to the Constitution, and demand that our political leaders do the same. Politicians who minimize the threat, repeat the lies, or enable the liar are not fit for office. Most importantly, we cannot make the grave mistake of returning Donald Trump – the man who caused January 6 – to the White House, or to any position of public trust, ever again.”

This book obviously has a lot to do with American Politics. But even if you don’t live on this side of the world, we all know everyone is affected by what happens in America.

In all candidness: I am not a Republican. This author wasn’t even on my radar until she was one of the few House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in his second impeachment trial. And then I started to pay attention to her.

Of course, I knew she was second in command to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the time. But even then, what she had to say had little relevance to me. We didn’t think or feel the same about what I believed was important in government’s role in supporting the people through executive function and regulatory power, economic policy guidance and/or budgetary acts.

Until that pivotal moment in politics. The second impeachment of Trump. And then Congressperson Liz Cheney stood out to me. And, when McCarthy blatantly removed her from her leadership role with the power of the Republican votes behind him, she still found a way to stand tall amongst her cowardly colleagues.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew that Representative Cheney would be the right person to not only sit on the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, but be a worthy second Chair.

To take on the job of serving on this committee would have major ramifications for the author as she suspected, she lost her re-election bid for Congress in 2022. But she felt it was worth it, and obviously her role on this committee, and the respect she has garnered continues to make up for that loss. As an example, this book sold out on the day it was released, and has remained an instant bestseller.

So, even if we do not speak the same language politically, her respect for the rule of law, and Constitution of the United States, garnered my appreciation for her. I truly felt she served our country honorably.

So, when her book came out, I put my name on my local library waiting list on December 23, 2023 to read it. I picked it up on May 3, 2024 and could not put it down.

The true question for me to answer was, why read and review a book in which a large percentage of this country is still under the spell of this charlatan Trump? They are the ones who should be reading this book. Not me. I already know and understand the threat of Trump to our country. I just couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t want to stop supporting him because they should see him as a threat, as well.

Still, I was compelled to read it. And, so here I am. Reading into the night. Giving up precious sleep on one night. Because I was that captivated by what I already knew. And now, I have closed the last page. It took me a couple of days, but I was invested.

Upon reading this book, how did I feel?

I was…Curious. Upset. Angry. Frustrated. Scared. Uncertain. And yet hopeful that maybe, just maybe because of this author, and others like her, they will find ways to convince the electorate to make sure that Trump will never see the halls of our government again. Nor will any of his craven minions be re-elected either.

Her book is her experience in government during a pivotal time. Her table of contents lays it out – The Plot Against America; The Attack; A Plague of Cowardice; No Half Measures; The Relentless March of Evidence; an Epilogue, Acknowledgments and notes.

She is clear about her message.

“This is the story of the moment when American democracy began to unravel. It is the story of the men and women who fought to save it, and of the enablers and collaborators whose actions ensured the threat would grow and metastasize.”

Of course, it is also the story of educating the world about what Trump did. And how we as Americans can hope to change any future outcome.

“The end of our story hasn’t yet been written. The threat continues. The outcome now is in the hands of the American people and our system of justice.”

Will justice prevail? Will the voters save us?

Judge J. Michael Luttig offered one of the most critical statements to the committee and heard by the American people that still rings true…

“Donald Trump and his allies…are a clear and present danger to American democracy.”

In her own speech at the end of the committee hearings, Cheney shared…

“…Every American must consider this: Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of January 6th ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?”

We the people.

We must not forget.

“Every one of us – Republican, Democrat, Independent – must work and vote together to ensure that Donald Trump and those who have appeased, enabled, and collaborated with him are defeated.

This is the cause of our time.”

We can’t help but feel after reading everything that Cheney shared, that she and many of her colleagues “all knew the truth” about Trump in 2019 (during the first impeachment – she voted “no”), just as she says they did after January 6. Had the Republican majority acted the first time, would that have saved us from him now?

She is however, a woman of substance and strong beliefs, imperfect in providing all the answers, but clearly passionate about her cause.

But her writing although filled with lawyerly wisdom regarding the constitution and criminal statutes which is key, is also wrought with anger and self-righteousness. In many ways, duly earned. This may or may not engage all readers.

And yet…she has spoken. I hope she is heard. Loud and clearly by those who need to listen.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Cheney, an inside Republican, gives an honest review of Donald Trump’s attempt to overthrow the government. Using facts from the investigation of January 6th, Cheney made it clear what happened that day. Republicans were so upset that she voted to impeach Trump based upon the facts and lies that led to that day. Cheney rips apart and describes that several key Republicans could have stopped the January 6th attacks. They swear an oath to the Constitution, instead they lied. Honoring your oath is crucial to the respect of the office.

[CoachJim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty to thirty years from now when historians write about Donald Trump and this period in our American history, Liz Cheney’s book Oath and Honor should be heavily referenced. Cheney painstakingly reports every detail of the activities of her republican colleagues in Congress for the two years following the 2020 presidential election. January 6th was a horrible day for our country, but actions of the republicans during this period were devastating.

Allegiance to Trump became the price for remaining in the republican party. Several republican members of congress who voted to impeach the former president lost their primary election, including Liz Cheney.

This is a powerful book that at times reads like a thriller or horror story. Cheney paints a brutal picture of republican members of Congress betraying their oath to defend the Constitution, who are a threat to our democracy, have a contempt for law and order, and ignore the rulings of the courts.

She eventually co-chairs a bipartisan congressional committee to investigate the insurrection. The committee, working against a deadline of the upcoming 2022 election, gathered damaging evidence of Donald Trump’s blame in inciting that insurrection, and found many key witnesses. The Justice Department hesitantly dragged its feet in prosecuting these charges. Now more than three years after the attack on the capitol, and almost two years after the congressional committee finished its work, the clock is running out. The people responsible for the insurrection are still free to spread their lies and threaten our democracy.

Twenty to thirty years from now when the events mentioned above are studied by historians it will not shine well on many of the republicans mentioned in this book. If it shines on us at all will be up to the voters this fall.

[Julie]

She names names!

She kept receipts!

Mandatory reading for all Americans for sure.

[Bruce Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has gotten a lot of press since its release. There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. This doesn't, however, take anything away from the importance of what Cheney has done here. My 4-star rating is doubtless more a reflection of the terrible urgency of Cheney’s message than it is an evaluation of the writing itself, but that’s fine.

For Cheney (and many others, myself included) this is a uniquely fraught moment in the history of our country. The very first paragraph makes her point clearly: This is the story of the moment when American democracy began to unravel. It is the story of the men and women who fought to save it, and of the enablers and collaborators whose actions ensured the threat would grow and metastasize. It is the story of the most dangerous man ever to inhabit the Oval Office, and of the many steps he took to subvert our Constitution.

Reading Cheney’s summary of events, I realized how much I had forgotten of the facts laid out in the January 6 hearings. Seeing them again came with a profound shock of recognition. So many lies, so much evidence of criminality, misconduct, and complete disregard of the Constitution and the democracy it was designed to protect. It’s dismaying to think that the MAGA crowd might succeed in redefining the attack on the Capitol as "legitimate political speech" and the rioters as patriots (or "tourists"). In "Oath and Honor," Cheney reflects back not only on January 6 but also on her interactions with other Republicans in Congress. It's not a reassuring picture. A Congressman will say in private that he thinks Trump is a clear and present danger and should absolutely be barred/removed from office, and then turns around the next day and votes against impeachment. Others fume as they hide, terrified, from the J6 rioters and curse Trump for instigating the assault, but a damnably short time later they say that Trump's indictments are politically motivated. And others still will huddle in a corner of the same room and smirk -- because they knew what was coming? played a part in planning the assault? supported the overturning of the 2020 election? Cheney has many such stories to tell, none of them reassuring.

What comes through most clearly in the book?

• That Donald Trump is the most dangerous person to ever occupy the Oval Office and that everything possible must be done to prevent his return to office. Full stop.

• That the Republican Party, once the self-described Party of Lincoln, is now what Cheney calls “the anti-Constitution Party” and has completely cast off any allegiance to political norms and democratic structures. That its members are either thoroughly venal and don’t care what damage they are doing to the country just so long as they stay in power or in the public eye, or are too frightened — not only politically but physically, for themselves or their families (one freshman Congressman told Cheney that he wants to vote for impeachment but has a new child at home and fears for his wife and child's lives — to risk speaking up against Trump. That they will angrily pound their desks in performative outrage and say things they know to be entirely untrue, consequences of the lies be damned.

• That Cheney utterly loathes Kevin McCarthy, whom she repeatedly calls a spineless, feckless liar. (She writes of caucus meetings where McCarthy “sometimes had Trump dialed in, secretly listening to our discussions. Kevin didn’t inform the entire conference when Trump had joined a call.”) Unsurprisingly, numerous other GOP figures also draw her disapprobation, including Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanie, Ted Cruz (guilty of “one of the worst cases of abandonment of duty for personal ambition I’ve ever seen in Washington”), and any number of Trump appointees, hangers-on, legal “counselors,” incompetents, grifters, and… well, the sentence kind of finishes itself, doesn’t it?

Cheney talks about how shocked she was at learning firsthand how widespread belief in the lies uttered by Trump and others was among the electorate. She describes a conversation with a constituent, one with whom she had spoken before. The constituent asked “whether I was aware that the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court was operating a child sex-trafficking ring in his basement. Of course that’s not true, I told each of them. But how could I be sure it wasn’t true, they each wanted to know. I was dumbfounded. These were two relatively reasonable individuals—not people I would have guessed would be susceptible to crackpot claims like this.” How does one get through to these people. Cheney isn’t sure it’s possible.

There are any number of passages and anecdotes from the book I might share — like the Tennessee congressman who, signing an utterly ridiculous document on the House floor, muttered to himself, “The things we do for the Orange Jesus.”Or the now famous story about Cheney swatting away Jim Jordan’s offer of help on January 6 (“we need to get the ladies off the aisle,” he courageously and selflessly said) and saying “Get away from me. You f—ing did this.”

Several professional reviewers have faulted Cheney because the “memoir” of her subtitle is never truly fleshed out because she doesn’t talk about her thinking and actions (or inaction) before January 6. It’s a reasonable enough criticism to make, no question -- given all that Trump had said and done before January 6, why had she not objected before? -- but it seems wrong-headed to me. Or badly timed may be a better way of putting it. The criticism draws attention to Ms Cheney at the cost of focusing on why the book was written and what it is intended to be: an urgent warning that the American people pay attention. Their representatives on government cannot be counted on to stand in defiance of the danger: it's on the voters to act as their own protectors.

Cheney quotes Lincoln’s 1838 Lyceum Address in support of her argument: “If destruction be our lot,"Lincoln said, "we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” The first test of his warning came some 20 years later and the nation survived. Sad to say, these words speak all too clearly to us today. Every day, as difficult as it is to believe in light of all the evidence against Trump et al., it seems that we might be, as Cheney puts it, "sleepwalking our way" to that national suicide.

Whatever arguments people might have with Cheney's policy stances, she deserves credit for standing up against Trump and his enablers, saying she will do everything she can to prevent him from being reelected. Sadly, nearly all members of her one-time party now find it too difficult to take this step.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning is a powerful book by Liz Cheney as the title alone suggests. This gripping story is from inside the halls of Congress as Donald Trump and his enablers betrayed the American people and the Constitution as they plotted to overturn a lawful election and provoked a violent attack on our Capitol on January 6, 2021. Liz Cheney, one of the few Republican officials to take a stand against these efforts, witnessed the attack first-hand and then helped lead the Congressional Select Committee Investigation to discover how it happened. If you have been following the news, much of it will be familiar, but what adds to the shocking facts that were exposed during the investigation is having the timeline as it unfolded in real-time. While I agree with very little of the conservative political views held by Liz Cheney, I applaud her patriotism in trying to impart to all of us the clear and present danger posed to this country by Donald Trump at great personal loss to her Congressional career. She has dedicated herself to doing everything in her power to prevent a man proven unfit to ever hold public office again. We should all heed her prescient words.

Liz Cheney ends this cautionary tale with the history of the United States that can be found in Washington, DC, including the United States Capitol, the White House and the National Archives. Of significance in the National Archives is the presence of America's founding documents on display. It is noted that through the glass is our Constitution written in 1787 and the first three words, We the people, are larger than all of the others.

"Those words--We the people--describe our power and our responsibility. In the era of Trump, certain members of Congress and other Trump enablers. . . . have attempted to hijack this phrase, to claim it gives them authority to subvert the rule of law or overturn the results of elections. They have preyed on the patriotism of millions of Americans. They are working to return to office the man responsible for January 6."

"We the people must stop them. We are the only thing that can stop them. This is more important than partisan politics. Every one of us--Republican, Democrat, Independent--must work and vote together to ensure that Donald Trump and those who have appeased, enabled, and collaborated with him are defeated."

"This is the cause of our time."

ADDENDUM: On December 19, 2023, the Supreme Court of the state of Colorado ruled that Donald Trump was not qualified to appear on the Colorado primary ballot because of his incitement of the insurrection on January 6, 2021. And this is why I live in Colorado!

[Mack Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheney meticulously and frighteningly lays out the January 6 conspiracy that involved Trump and his minions, members of Congress as well as the previous and current speaker of the house.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The language is straightforward, not much room for misinterpretation:

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”—-Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

Seven months after Trump incited a violent mob of American citizens—-duped into believing that the 2020 election was stolen—-to attempt to violently disrupt the peaceful transfer of power by attacking Capitol police officers and breaking illegally into the U.S. Capitol Building, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) appointed Liz Cheney (R) to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

Cheney—-one of only ten Republicans to vote for impeachment of Trump after J6—-witnessed the cowardice of members of her party as they downplayed the events or blatantly defended Trump’s indefensible actions (and inactions) of that notorious day.

Even after many of her fellow Republicans initially made statements condemning Trump, she—-along with the nation—-listened as most of them backtracked and tried to get in Trump’s good graces again. Inexplicably, she witnessed her party become something ugly. She watched as her fellow Republicans—-people she once considered friends—-turned their back on the oaths they took: to the country, to their constituents, to the Constitution. Seemingly to appease one man.

Cheney writes about her experiences being there, at the Capitol, on January 6 and being on the subsequent investigative committee in her memoir “Oath and Honor”, an important read if ever there was one about this event. It’s especially significant coming from her, a Republican. Regardless of how one feels about her policies and philosophies (and I am, admittedly, by no means a Cheney cheerleader), it must be noted that Cheney went into this knowing that she was putting her political career in jeopardy. She pissed off a lot of people in her party, for doing nothing more than calling out Trump’s atrocious behavior. The fact that Trump committed actual crimes is, tellingly, seemingly lost on many of her fellow pro-Trump Republicans.

Here, in one of the most disturbing conversations she had with former Representative Kevin McCarthy, illustrates the problem:


“”Kevin,” I said, “This is about the Constitution. Think of what Trump did. Think of how appalled any of our previous Republican leaders would be about this. How would Reagan have reacted to this? How would Bush have reacted? Think of my dad.”
A large portrait of Ronald Reagan hangs in Kevin McCarthy’s office. But he apparently no longer believed in the conservatism of our 40th president.
“This isn’t their party anymore,” Kevin said.
He wasn’t wrong. The GOP was becoming an anti-Constitution party. And too many of our leaders were willing to accept that.”

****

“In all the cases that were brought—-I have looked at the more than 60 that include more than 180 counts… the simple fact is that the Trump campaign did not make its case… And in no instance did a court find that the charges of fraud were real.”—-Ben Ginsberg, Republican election lawyer, referring to the numerous accusations of voter fraud levied by Trump

It all started with the Big Lie: Trump’s baseless accusations of rampant voter fraud in November 2020.

Cheney admits that Trump—-as with every president—-had the legal right to at least ask the questions and pursue juridical avenues. The problem came about after nearly all of the cases filed were dismissed or denied based on no merit, some of these overseen by judges that even Trump appointed. Despite this, and knowing full well that there was no evidence for what he was saying, Trump continued to spread the lie that the election was stolen. (https://campaignlegal.org/results-law...)

Everyone (well, nearly everyone, anyway) in Trump’s circle wasn’t buying his bullshit. Many staff members resigned in droves. Members of his Cabinet were also resigning angrily.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos wrote, in her resignation letter to Trump, “There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me… [I]mpressionable children are watching all of this.”

The handful of people who stayed by Trump’s side—-the sycophantiest of the sycophants—-plotted and planned something big. And illegal.

I don’t know much about the electoral college. I admit, I wasn’t paying much attention that day in my political science class. (More than likely, I was asleep, as the subject put me to sleep, and it still does.) But legal experts and political smarty-pants, according to Cheney, have gathered enough evidence to prove that what Trump and his bootlickers were doing with “fake electors” was definitely a crime.

Then, along came January 6…

****

“I fought in Iraq and I have never encountered the violence I did out there today… It was medieval and bloodthirsty.”—-law enforcement officer speaking about his experience protecting the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021

Law enforcement agencies were getting chatter long before J6. There was a definite disturbance in the Force, a feeling in the air of impending doom. Something wicked this way came.

Trump fueled the flames with incendiary tweets, and he wasn’t the only one. But his was the voice that mattered most to the militant white nationalists, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the Neo-Nazis, the Q-Anoners, and the hide-wearing antlered nut jobs who had come to Washington, D.C. that day because they believed that they were “taking the country back”. All of it based on a lie, of course.

What followed was a nightmare. A bloody conflagration of misinformed idiots who had been fed four years of “alternative facts” and FOX News right-wing propaganda and Trump’s constant stream of bullshit. What resulted was nine dead, three million dollars in property damage, and hundreds of police officers and Capitol staff workers and House members who now suffer PTSD.

Thankfully, Cheney did her job. Along with good people like Adam Kinzinger, Bennie Thompson, Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy, Jamie Raskin, and Elaine Luria. It’s due to these people that Trump is now facing numerous indictments and possible jail time for very real federal high crimes and misdemeanors.

[Bookishrealm]

This was one of my most anticipated political non-fiction books of the year and I must admit Liz Cheney did not disappoint. If you're looking for someone who is willing to critique and hold the Republican party accountable for it's current demise, this is the book to pick up. Not only does Cheney address the issues associated with the 2020 election, but also the truth behind the January 6th insurrection. While Cheney and I would fundamentally disagree on a lot of different things, we agree that this next election will determine a lot. Oath and Honor is a cautionary tale of what is to come if elected officials begin to disregard the pillars of the Constitution. Cheney put her entire career on the line by having morals, ethics, and values and respect for the democratic process that is the foundation of this nation. If you want to know my full thoughts on this, definitely check out my video here: https://youtu.be/UQxWHRnwyO4?si=CMQjT...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 overall - mostly for the latter half of the book and its focus on the House 1/6 Committee Hearings. 

~ because that, more than any particular interest in Liz Cheney, was my reason for reading the book. And, in that, the book (and, by extension, Liz) does not disappoint.

To me, the hearings were riveting Must-See TV. But I had the thought that Cheney's memoir could possibly go into some detail re: behind-the-scenes of the hearings. (All we saw was what was presented out-front.) And that turns out to be the case. In a compelling manner, Cheney reports somewhat exhaustively on what surrounded the hearings as well as the difficulties infused due to their very existence. 

In short, the book's latter half is rather valuable. 

I can't say as much for the first half - in which Cheney tells us a gazillion times (as if we didn't know all-too-well already) that T---p is a danger to democracy. ~ oh, and that Kevin McCarthy is an a-hole. Generally speaking, the whole first section isn't really news to anyone who has been following the whole T---p Circus Act all along. 

As well... throughout the book in general, we learn very little about Liz herself (other than less-than-a-page in which she details some of her credits as she climbed the political ladder). Who Cheney is as a person comes off as sketchy and somewhat too-angelic. 

Her particular brand of Republicanism claims to be "of the party of Abraham Lincoln and of Ronald Reagan". She says that apparently without realizing what a schizophrenic remark that is; she says that as though it's possible to be both... when it isn't. 

(She actually writes: "Today, I still believe that President Reagan has, perhaps better than almost any US president since Abraham Lincoln, expressed the nobility and honor of our great nation."  It's enough to make you vomit.)

She also sheepishly seems to have amnesia re: almost anything that happened prior to 1/6. ~ as though T---p's actions just prior to and on that fateful day came out of nowhere. ~ as though they didn't come at the end of four insane POTUS T---p years that we all suffered through; years that Cheney didn't seem to have a particularly huge problem with. (She reportedly voted along with T---p 93% of the time.) She doesn't write a word about any of that. 

So, yes... in spearheading the hearings, Cheney did something remarkable and surprisingly noble. And we should all be exceedingly grateful for that. I know *I* am. The hearings deserved every single word of praise they received.

Maybe Cheney has had a genuine change of heart when it comes to how America can be more like the America it wants and needs to be. (I would like to think she has, but her book seems to only hint at that.) We know (because she repeats it a lot) that she believes in the peaceful transition of power. We also know (because she says so) that she's all for small government and she's completely anti-socialism. 

Cheney fearlessly stepped up to the plate and did one very large, very good thing. That aside, she appears to feel that a focus on crushing but non-violent capitalism is what would make all Americans happy. And that just ain't so. 

[Daniel Villines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oath and Honor is an intensely interesting and factual book that focuses on the acts undertaken by then President Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Cheney’s writing is crisp and damning and gives no quarter to those that directly participated or encouraged the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. In the future, as other books by historians come into being, Cheney’s account will hold its own and serve to passionately depict her patriotism and her present belief in the rule-of-law.

However, for as thorough, comprehensive, and critical of Trump that this book is, it leaves out any discussion regarding a critical piece of evidence that speaks directly to the cause of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.

Cheney supported Trump’s candidacy for president in 2016. She defended Trump after he enthusiastically bragged about assaulting women while multiple women claimed he did just that; one of whom has twice proven her case in courts of law. Cheney was silent after Trump referred to the violent white supremacists in Charlottesville as "very fine people." She must have never read the violations of law that were included in the Mueller Report, and she voted against impeaching Trump over his attempted extortion of the Ukrainian president. Cheney helped to raise funds for Trump during his 2020 reelection bid, accepting as acceptable the thousand of lies told by Trump by that time. And on page 86 she admits that she "wanted" Trump to win reelection in November 2020.

What’s missing from this book is any sort of examination of how Trump achieved the position of power and confidence necessary to carry out the January 6th attack. There was an obvious escalation of Trump’s moral depravity and lawlessness that Cheney and her Republican colleagues repeatedly enabled and encouraged for four years. In 2016, what made Cheney think that an accused and self-admitted sexual predator would have the courage and character necessary to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?"

By the time of the January 6th attack, Trump was more confident than ever that the Republican members of Congress would not only look the other way but also serve his needs. Cheney’s exclamation of "you did this!" made towards Congressman Jason Smith as the rioters were attempting to batter down the doors to the House Chamber, failed to recognize that she did this too!

In the absence of examining this systemic cause of the January 6th attack, Cheney’s book and her warning are both incomplete. We are presently heading into another election where the same forces are at play in the Republican Party. In the absence of examining this critical piece of history we are seeing it repeated once again, and the work of the January 6 Committee could end up being for naught.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up to 4.

Everyone is the hero of their own story. This is definitely true of this book. Liz Chaney is her best hero, and she deserves that title (don’t we all?). She absolutely held her head high the entire time 45 and his sycophants were persecuting her, and she led the charge to try to make things right. She had a lot to be proud of, and the US people have a lot to be grateful for of her. I have a lot of respect for her.

The only thing that bothered me about the book was to wonder how fondly she’d remember Reagan if he hadn’t been a family friend. Yeah he was important in ending three Cold War, though right now it feels like we are back at it sometimes, but he also did a lot of damage, including creating the “war on drugs,” which multiplied the mass incarceration of Black men, wedging even bigger racial and class disparities/stigmas (remember the welfare queen?), and Iran Contra anyone???

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: 10/3/24: Amazing to watch Liz Cheney and Kamala Harris speaking together in Wisconsin. These are Intelligent women. Fantastic Book to Read 📚

Read This One. Non-Partisan and Accurate Facts that go to the heart of the US Constitution and our Democracy. Liz Cheney, You are Brave! Thank you for your thorough investigation of the events that lead to the attack at the Capital. Integrity Matters, Honesty Matters, Democracy Matters, Honoring an Oath to Uphold the Constitution Matters. Riveting Read and also listened along with the Audio 🎧

[Mama Cass aka Bookhugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not agreeing on just about all her policies, after reading this book, I believe Liz is a true American heroine. The evidence she presents is stunning. To quote my favorite wizard "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends." She is brave, courageous and strong. She stood tall for her oath to the constitution, the people and her party. While little boys like McCarthy turned tail and hid, she was stoic. Highly recommend.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written recap of Liz Cheney's final year in office, along with her determination to honor her oath. 8 of 10 stars

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every American who intends on voting in 2024 needs to read this book before voting.

[Cynthia Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, there goes sleeping for the next ten months.

[Trudie Barreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very disconcerting to realize that Liz Cheney, a woman I have come to deeply respect and admire since her service as co-chair of the Select Committee to investigate the events of January 6, 2021, is the daughter of the man I considered a dangerous “neocon” immediately following 9/11. Although I do not really consider myself a “Truther”, I was in fact extremely skeptical of the role VP Dick Cheney played in the events surrounding that terrorist attack and its aftermath throughout the Bush 43 administration. Indeed, reflecting on this strange reversal in the level and direction of the threats we face and the fact that Cheney’s daughter has now become the prophetic voice demanding that we look very carefully at the direction in which our Nation is headed, I decided today to go ahead and republish my review of the book that drastically altered my political opinions a decade and a half ago, David Ray Griffin’s “Christian Faith and the Truth behind 9/11”.

The type of conservatism represented by Liz Cheney is indeed a view which understands clearly that whatever the flaws of our Constitutional Republic in process, it is far superior to the utter chaos and anarchy of a proposed anti-democratic autocracy of the type that Donald Trump aspires to create with him as the dictator wannabe. “Oath and Honor” is not only a scathingly honest analysis of the events preceding and during 1/6, but also of its aftermath in terms of the ongoing deterioration of any sense of honor or willingness to stand by the Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution which now besets something over 40 percent of our citizenry. We can only pray that her unique credentials and the heritage for which she gave up her own personal political ambitions will prevail. If they don’t, truly, God help us all!

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that gives us Liz Cheney’s view of some of the functioning or non functioning of the US Republicans. Some memorabilia in the middle of the book.

[Pseudonymous d'Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

__________________________
On January 6, 2021, Liz Chaney was preparing for the start of the Electoral College certification ceremony, when her phone rang.

“While I was sitting at Ryan’s desk, my dad [Dick Cheney] called me. “Are you listening to Trump?” he asked. …” He just told the crowd [at his infamous pep rally at the Ellipse] that they should ‘get rid of the Liz Cheneys of the world.’ He has created a serious threat to your security. … You are in danger.”

In fact, we were all in grave danger. And according to Ms Cheney, we still are.

I can say truthfully, and without hyperbole, that this is the most frightening book I have ever read. Liz Cheney was the third most powerful person in the Republican Party at the time of the 2020 election. She had access to substantial amounts of information, and what she saw Trump doing after the election, terrified her.

One of the most disturbing events was the fact that after he had lost the election Trump had, with only a few weeks left in his regime, fired the Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. This was an unprecedented act. Esper claimed he had been fired because he said that he would not tolerate any attempt to use the military to contest the result of an election. Trump then threatened to fire the secretary of the Army and the Army chief of staff who had stated “There’s no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of a U.S. election.”

It seemed obvious to Cheney that Trump was plotting to call in the military as a last resort to unconstitutionally keep him in power and put an end to real democracy in the U.S. Liz and her father-–a former Secretary of Defense whom no one has ever called a liberal-–organized a “letter of warning” to the new leadership in the DOD and to Trump himself signed by 10 former Secretaries of Defense from both political parties. The letter stated that anyone who attempted to use U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would held accountable and would face criminal penalties. The warning letter wasn’t exactly the Battle of Gettysburg, but it was a start.

Unfortunately, while the Cheneys and their allies had fired a first shot, many of the elected Republicans were doubling down on Trumps lies, claiming that the election was stolen and that Congress could throw out Electoral College votes. Cheney says that many of those sycophantic Republican congress members confided to her that they knew that Biden legitimately won the election, that Trump’s claims that the elections were rigged were a lie, that Trump’s scheme to claim electoral votes were invalid was unconstitutional, and that Trump was no doubt guilty of fomenting an insurrection, but that they felt that they had to go along to get along. In fact, Kevin McCarthy-–the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives -–had spent time lecturing the new freshman Republican members of the House that if they didn’t follow the party line and unconstitutionally object to the electoral votes from the states targeted by Trump, they would be primaried out of existence come the next election. When Cheney asked other members why they didn’t stand up to the lies, they said things like, “It’s all about keeping your job” and even more heinously, “It’s all about winning.” When one congressman admitted that he went along because he was afraid for the physical safety of himself, his wife, and his newly born son, Ms Cheney thought, “Maybe you are in the wrong job.”

Liz uses the term “sycophants" several times throughout the book to describe people like Mark Meadows––she was probably just being polite.

As horrendous as the entire Fools' Rebellion was, the following conversation that took place while the MAGA hordes were marauding through the Capitol was perhaps the most gut wrenching thing I read. The incident itself wasn’t particularly important, but the symbolism was heartbreaking.

As I sat back down, Raskin was … looking down at his phone. “Liz,” he said, “There is a Confederate flag flying inside the United States Capitol.”

★★★★★ I have never said in any of my Goodreads’ reviews, that anyone just had to read a book. I am changing that now. You have to read this book; the American way of life may depend on it.

To paraphrase a note Ms. Cheney got from a voter in her home state of Wyoming: “I never liked you, Liz; but you are changing my mind.” You are truly an American Patriot.

[Christine Nolfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book that should be required reading for every American of voting age. Highly recommended.

[Joseph Sciuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago in lovely Southern California, in a very famous restaurant, I was talking to this young couple, maybe 5 to 7 years older to me. We were discussing the Bronx, where I was born and raised, movies, Broadway, and a host of other topics. When they were getting ready to leave they invited me the very next day to a Memorial Day Party at their house in Malibu.

I gracefully had to decline and when they asked me why I replied, "Because on Memorial Day I always go to the Veterans' cemetery in Westwood."

They then asked, "If I had anyone buried there?"

I said, "No, it's just a tradition."

Sadly, this very nice couple was not able to figure out why I would be going to a cemetery on a holiday in which so many people were throwing parties and celebrating the beginning of summer.

The very next day, I went to the Veterans' Cemetery and laid flowers on a gravestone that didn't seem to have had any visitors in decades. Down from where I was standing, a veterans' day parade was taking place and there were lines of young children waving the American flag. I figured they were children of military personnel because beside most of the children were adults in uniforms.

A few years ago, I thought back to those children and wondered how many followed in their father or mother's footsteps and went into the military and how many were probably killed or maimed fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I bring this up because throughout Ms. Cheney's wonderful memoir she brings up many times how many men and women have died and were maimed fighting for the freedom that so many of us take for granted.

I had thought I had known a lot about all the events surrounding the Jan. 6 attack but my God was I wrong. Ms. Cheney's memoir seriously enlightened me to many things I never even thought about and that alone is one of many reasons I so highly recommend this book. It is beautifully written, seriously depressing in that so many of our supposed leaders are a bunch of cowards and so many Americans are so ill informed because of the false narrative broadcast every day and night into their living rooms. The threat is still there, and in many ways much more dangerous than when our illiterate, selfish, self-centered, corrupt former president was in office.

[Roslynne Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I do not agree with her politics, she succinctly lays out why we cannot allow Donald Trump to again hold any elected office. That the rule of law is what preserves our Democracy and Republic. That we must abide by our Constitution that is greater than any one person.

[Elisabeth Boas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Careful, clear, first-hand, reasoned account, analysis, and warning from an experienced plain-speaking American.
Must read, everyone.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, experts on extremism fear the threat of politically motivated violence will intensify. From QAnon to “Stop the Steal,” conspiracy theories that demonized Donald Trump's enemies are morphing and spreading as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination aims for a return to the White House.

I never thought I would read anything by a Republican. I may not agree with her politics, but I most certainly admire her courage and respect her intelligence. "Oath and Honor" strikes a blow in defiance of the millions of decent Americans who have for too long been held captive by Trump and his motley inner circle of heinous thugs and delinquent misfits. She speaks with the voice of the many, previously held hostage by an object lowlife whose despicable ideology is shamefully sanctioned by a plethora hateful sycophant.

Cheney meticulously documents the extent of Trump's treachery, exposing along the way the actions of a pathetic, unprincipled, cowardly movement, devoid of decency and loyalty. A cult hellbent on assisting a sociopath seeking to dismantle the framework upon which our democracy is built. This memoir is the result of her courage and character, like Cheney, the majority of Americans are unequivocal in saying- Enough!

This may be the most important book of the 2024 race, you can read at this fragile time in our system of government. Absolutely no one among Trump's devoted followers is going to change their mind and reading this book won't likely do it either. To me they are brainwashed. All registered voters should read this book. This is a book about saving our Constitution and all those who have died so we can have our freedoms. This book is very well written, and I hope it opens the eyes of those who blindly follow a dangerous man that only will accomplish one thing if elected. REVENGE!

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oath and Honor
Liz Cheney
I may not have agreed with her votes in Congress, but she sure stood up for the Constitution when it was needed. This is a good behind the scenes look at what went on with the January 6 Committee and dealing with the other Republicans. A real eye opener. The book went fast. Her writing style made the situations relatable.