Historian argues Liz Cheney is a leader similar to Lincoln, says her losing election is a sign of 'courage'
Liz Cheney lost her re-election bid last year by a 37 point margin in the Wyoming Republican primary
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jon Meacham, a presidential biographer and historian, argued on PBS' "Firing Line" that former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is similar to President Abraham Lincoln.
"You recently published, ‘And There Was Light’, on the life of Abraham Lincoln. You say that Lincoln was 'a man who put moral commitment at the heart of what he was doing and a duty to constitutional order itself ahead of his own power," host Margaret Hoover noted.
"Are there modern day leaders that you think reflect similar qualities of character?" she asked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GDP REPORT REVEALS OMINOUS GREAT DEPRESSION WARNING SIGN NOT SEEN SINCE 1932
Former Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
"Yes, I think of Liz Cheney right off the top of the question. I think of people who have actually sacrificed their own individual power in the cause of preserving a larger order that for all of its imperfections has proved durable," Meacham said.
"And has also, in our own time, proven incredibly fragile. Which we all sort of notionally thought about, you know, democracy is fragile is the kind of thing we would say. But now we know it really is," he continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And yet Liz Cheney is no longer a leader in Congress," the host responded.
"Exactly, and that's courage. And the one great test about the durability and the ultimate wisdom of the American people will be what happens to her next," Meacham said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Original Caption) Winston-Salem, N.C.: Presidential candidate Vice President George Bush and Gov. Michael Dukakis shake hands before the start of their debate.
The historian argued that President George H.W. Bush also exemplified selflessness by signing a budget in 1990 that included increased taxes, despite his prior campaign commitment not to do so.
Back in October, Meacham compared President Biden to Lincoln on CNN where he also said the 2022 midterm elections would be the most important choice for Americans since the lead up to the Civil War.
In 2020, Meacham was reportedly let go from his MSNBC contributor gig for the network after he failed to disclose he wrote Biden's acceptance speech before commenting on it on-air.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bust of Abraham Lincoln: Cornell Cast Collection (Dr. Randy Wayne )
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Cheney lost her re-election bid last year in the Republican primary by a historic 37 points. Since then, she has left the door open to a future presidential run and attacked Republican voters as "very sick".