Liz Cheney says Trump should respect ‘sanctity’ of election if he can’t prove claims in court

Ms Cheney is first member of congressional leadership to put any pressure on president about election result

Liz Cheney (Getty Images)

Liz Cheney has become the first member of the Republican Party’s congressional leadership to apply any pressure on Donald Trump to concede the election to Joe Biden.

In a statement, Ms Cheney, who represents Wyoming’s at-large congressional district, advised the president that if he cannot prove his claims of electoral fraud he should respect “the sanctity of our electoral process”.

The number three Republican in the House of Representatives said: “America is governed by the rule of law. The president and his lawyers have made claims of criminality and widespread fraud, which they allege could impact election results. If they have genuine evidence of this, they are obligated to present it immediately in court and to the American people.”

She continued: “I understand that the President has filed more than thirty separate lawsuits. If he is unsatisfied with the results in those lawsuits, then the appropriate avenue is to appeal,” she added. “If the President cannot prove these claims or demonstrate that they would change the election result, he should fulfill his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States by respecting the sanctity of our electoral process.”

Several other Republican member of Congress have made similar comments as those of Ms Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney.

They worry that the president faces an insurmountable battle to overturn results in any state given his legal team’s lack of any credible evidence.

With deadlines looming for states to certify the results of their ballots, Mr Trump’s lawyers, led by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, have filed and lost or had dismissed almost 30 cases.

Following Thursday’s wild, conspiracy-filled press conference by Mr Giuliani and fellow lawyers Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, some Republican lawmakers did speak out.

Representative Fed Upton of Michigan said on Friday that he has not seen any evidence of fraud that would overturn the approximately 150,000 vote lead by the Biden campaign in his state.

Virginia representative Denver Riggleman likewise said that the lack of success in the courts proved there is no legitimate evidence to back up the campaign’s case.

Mr Riggleman also voiced his disappointment that more member of the party had not spoken out about the claims and what he alleges is a “grift” and “fundraising measure”.

“There are smart, smart people up there that are not coming out and not identifying this for what it is, and this is simply a conspiratorial grift ... I believe it's a fundraising venture," he said. "The thing is, though, is that when you're spouting these type of ridiculous alternative facts, there are people that believe it and I think it's time for everybody to sort of rise up in the GOP and say, 'This is enough.'"

Representative Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio told The Hill  he thought the press conference was “embarrassing” and said they need to focus on “real investigations adjudicating real claims. Not whatever it was Sidney Powell was talking about”.

He added that what was really needed were steps to build confidence in the electoral process off the back of two of the mostly hotly contended presidential elections in history.