‘Donald Trump was called Orange Jesus on Capitol riot day’
Former President Donald Trump was reportedly called ‘the Orange Jesus’ on January 6 before the Capitol riot unfolded.
Inside the House Republican cloakroom at the Capitol, members were urged to sign electoral objection papers, one for each state where the 2020 results were being contested, wrote former Rep Liz Cheney in her forthcoming book Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.
Most members knew that the gesture was ‘a farce’ and ‘another public display of fealty to Donald Trump’, writes Cheney in an excerpt obtained by CNN on Wednesday.
‘Among them was Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee,’ she writes in her book to be released on December 5.
‘As he moved down the line, signing his name to the pieces of paper, Green said sheepishly to no one in particular, “The things we do for the Orange Jesus.”’
Green’s office shot down the claim.
‘Liz Cheney’s accusation is false. She and her publishers would know this had they reached out to Rep Green or his office,’ a spokesman told the news outlet. ‘There was a large crowd in the cloak room that day and Congressman Green unequivocally denies making this comment.’
Cheney, a Trump critic who was ousted from her role as House Republican Conference chair in May 2021, also singled out Rep Mike Johnson, who was voted House speaker after she completed her memoir.
Johnson pushed GOP members to back an amicus brief to toss the election results from four states where Joe Biden defeated Trump, Cheney claims.
‘When I confronted him with the flaws in his legal arguments, Johnson would often concede, or say something to the effect of, “We just need to do this one last thing for Trump,”‘ she writes.
Cheney also said that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was recently ousted, told her two days after Election Day that Trump acknowledged losing the race.
‘He knows it’s over,’ McCarthy said, according to Cheney. ‘He needs to go through all the stages of grief.’
Republican lawmakers criticized Trump but proceeded to stand behind him in his efforts to overturn the election.
Trump on Wednesday did not immediately address Cheney’s claims. But he has not liked being depicted as having an orange skin tone.
In August, the ex-president railed against a Fox News show for showing his ‘orange’ photo and unflattering angles of his chin.
‘Why doesn’t Fox and Friends show all of the Polls where I am beating Biden, by a lot. They just won’t do it! Also, they purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me, especially the big “orange” one with my chin pulled way back,’ wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform at the time.
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