Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning

Cheney details the planning and organization of the hearings on the events leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Cheney and Phil, her colleague, worked on creating an outline for these hearings. They decided to divide the factual material into seven parts, each highlighting a distinct element of the Trump team’s efforts to overturn the 2020 US presidential election. These elements included Trump’s false claims of election theft, efforts to pressure state legislatures, creation of fraudulent electoral slates, attempts to influence the Justice Department, planning for the January 6 joint session of Congress, the rally in Washington, and the ultimate attack on the Capitol.

The chapter also discusses the challenges faced in organizing the hearings, including the need to distill complex information for a television audience. It highlights the importance of presenting evidence and testimony from Republican officials and witnesses to ensure a fact-based presentation. Additionally, the chapter touches on Cheney’s decision to run for re-election in Wyoming despite the demands of her work on the January 6 Committee. The chapter concludes with the start of the committee’s hearings, featuring previously unseen video footage of the January 6 attack and testimonies from key witnesses.