His legacy, promoting democracy, human rights and character driven leadership in the work we do in washington, d. C. , arizona and around the world. We are committed to serving causes greater than ourselves. Our vision is a world that is free, safe, and just for all people. Im pleased to join you all here and to introduce the democracy dialogue of the Mccain Institute. This series is partially funded by the knight foundation, and ashley, the Vice President for learning and impact. Thank you, ashley and thank you to the knight foundation. Our four prior conversations have focused on how that incline of local journalism is endangering our democracy. The implications of physicals and verbal threats against election officials. How to protect our electoral system and infrastructure against cyberattack. And how to counter hate in america today. You can find all of these on youtube, and this one will be on youtube after tonight. For our faith, we will talk about political courage and why it is essential. Let me tell you why we are convening these meetings. These highlevel democracy dialogues showcase women and men of character. We engaged those who stand up every day in defense of democratic rights for all americans. Through their service and example, point to the obligations of citizenship we all have. These leaders, like our namesake mccain, lead with integrity, humility and responsibility. You, our Young Leaders of tomorrow, are the ones were fighting for. But ultimately, it is up to you to fight as well for your democracy, fight for your rights. Representative liz cheney, whom you are about to hear from, is via pitta me of american political courage today. The epitomy of american political courage today. She asserted, if the cost of standing up for the constitution is losing the house seat, thats the price i am willing to pay. Thats the definition of integrity, acting consistently in keeping with ones values. And following where that lead takes courage. Representative cheney has put us americans ahead of her personal and professional interests. For that, we must thank her. And now it is my honor to introduce representative liz cheney, committed conservative, wyomings member of congress they have 1 and vice chair of the select committee to investigate the attack on the United States capitol. With her today is sophia, who will be interviewing her. She is the Mccain Institutes inaugural democracy fellow, who until recently was head of policy at social Media Companies snap, and is currently also a navy reserve officer. Thank you for your attention and representative cheney, and over to you, sophia. Host amazing. Thank you, evelyn. Thank you to the Mccain Institute and asu. Good afternoon, and welcome to the Mccain Institutes dialogues on the future of democracy. These dialogues are made possible by the generosity by the knight foundation. Todays conversation is themed around courage in american leadership. No one better exemplifies this then congresswoman liz cheney. We are thrilled to happy with us this evening. Our hope is to inspire more americans, the next generation of americans in arizona to understand their role in the democratic process. It is a true honor to conduct tonights conversation at a critical moment in american history. When i got the news of this opportunity to lead tonights conversation, the keyword that kept coming to mind was courage. My hope is that in sharing your story and values and principles, that more Young Americans in this room understand that no matter who they are or where they come from, they can be involved with public life to shape the trajectory of our country. Its something senator john mccain helped me understand when i was a young person in a room just like this. Yall have a role to play, i hope we all walk away from our conversation this evening with a deep understanding and inspiration to do more in public life. Todays conversation is taking place on yom kippur, the holiest day of the jewish year, or me as the granddaughter of a jew and holocaust survivor, it is meaningful and powerful to have this conversation today. Yom kippur is about reflection and our ability to improve as individual people and as a community. Today, in theme with the holiday of yom kippur, we will have the opportunity to reflect on our country through the lens of how we can improve it, and ask who we want to be as citizens, and as a nation as we embark on an this next year. I know congresswoman cheney will help us do just that. As part of our arizona democracy program, we are looking forward to conducting tonights conversation to honor the legacy of senator mccain. It will be a civil conversation where we welcome opposing views, but ultimately one that is respectful. I hope you and the audience will join us in honoring senator mccains legacy in making this a civil conversation. Congresswoman cheney will begin with her opening remarks. Ms. Cheney thank you, sophia, for having me today. Thank you for your service to our country. And thank you to the Mccain Institute. Its really a special pleasure and honor, privilege, to be here to honor the legacy of senator mccain. And what he did for so many years for the issue of democracy. And its a special privilege and honor to be here to talk about our obligations as citizens in a republic, and in a democratic system. Ive had the opportunity the last year and a half to spend a lot of time with young people. Young people really give me hope when i look at the future of our country. I see this beginning with the young members of the staff in the capitol on january 6. And watching how in so many instances where the members who they may have been working for was unwilling to speak clearly about what had happened, or stand up to what it happened, the young people really have. I see that with my children, their friends, all around the country. That really gives me tremendous hope. I think one of the biggest lessons for me, and this may seem obvious, i grew up certainly around politics. I grew up in a emily involved family involved in public service. But the lesson of january 6 and what we have seen since then is one of the most important lessons undoubtedly, is that in this nation, our institutions dont defend themselves. And it takes individuals. If you look at what weve seen, there have been far too many examples of cowardice. Far too many examples of craven political ambition in the last year and a half. But there have also been stunning examples of bravery and courage. The people of arizona are blessed to have so many of those examples here. People like marcy, who testified in front of our committee. Sitting there on the dais and listening to marcy talked about his faith, and his duty to the constitution, and his oath and what it meant to him was critically moving to me and my colleagues. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. Also individuals like stephen, who i believe is here today, and bill gates, both of whom have been tremendously strong and courageous. We have seen courageous republicans who withstood pressure from the former president at all levels, and he has been willing to come forward and tell us what happened. If anyone says to you january 6 was not all that bad, please tell them they only held them because of individuals. They help because of political, elected individuals, they also help because of the Capitol Police officers, the metropolitan Police Officers. Men and women who fought what was really a medieval battle, handtohand combat that day for hours and hours. And i know we are going to have a chance to do questions, but think to yourself what it means that for 187 minutes, while there was a massive assault underway at the capitol. And Police Officers were being gravely injured, were killed, thousands of people armed, who had been provoked by President Trump to attack the capitol. While this is happening, donald trump was watching it on television, and he refused to take action. He was the one person who could have stopped it. He ultimately did when he told people to go home, but he wouldnt tell them to leave for 187 minutes. No matter what else you think about what happened that day, about our politics in this nation, no nation can afford to have a leader who is so derelict in his duty. I look forward to sophias questions and any questions from our audience. Host thank you, congresswoman cheney, so inspiring. Id love to start by talking about the current moment we find ourselves in. We are defending free and Fair Elections in the United States of america is considered courageous. Liz cheney is on everybodys mind. Id love to know whats on your mind, as you think about defending democracy . Ms. Cheney i spend a lot of time thinking about arizona. If you think about elections that are happening now. In arizona today, you have a candidate for governor in kari lake, candidate for secretary of state in mark finchem, both of whom has said, this is no secret , that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it. Both of them have looked at 2020, the fact that the election in arizona was carried out according to state law, that there were accounts, recounts, audits. That there were multiple court cases and rulings all of which went against the former president. The election itself was certified, and the arizona electors correctly certified for biden. They looked at the law, the facts and the rulings of the courts and they said it doesnt matter to them. And if you care about democracy, and the survival of our republic, then we all have to understand that we cannot give people power who have told us they will not honor elections. Elections are the foundation of our republic. And peaceful transfers of power are the foundation of our republic. We must have elected officials in both parties who understand and honor that duty. What happens in arizona is not just important for arizona, but the nation and the future functioning of our constitution. Host absolutely. It really is why we are so honored to have you here today, making sure everybody in this room heres that message, and understanding that we all have a role to play. One thing i love when i listen to you speak is hearing how much history includes your thinking. Id love to take a look back. The peaceful transition of power 250 years ago as a beacon of democracy around the world, and a critical part of senator john mccains legacy was his race when he was running for the highest office of the land. We think history repeats itself, when it comes to january 6, that is frightening. Ms. Cheney its such an important question, the first thing we have to understand is weve never been in the same place where we are facing this kind of a threat. Thats because were facing a threat from a former president attempting to unravel the republic. It can sound extreme to say, i cant imagine i could not have imagined that would be where we are. I spent a lot of time in my career working in countries overseas where they dont live under governments that are free. I actually worked at the International Republican institute 30 years ago, i was a young staffer when john mccain was chairman of the board of iri. So ive seen firsthand how fragile democracy is, and how the sacrifice that people are willing to make for it around the world. I think i you on some level knew on some level that even in the United States this was fragile, but i certainly didnt understand just how fragile. I think that such an important lesson we need to take from history. The other lesson, and i think about lincoln a lot, i think about my great great grandfather who served in the union army for all four years of the civil war. And you think about so many generations who sacrificed so much for this freedom. And we cannot be the generation that decides we let it slip away. That requires all of us, sophia talks about the young people in the audience today, around the country. I know when youre 18, 19, 20 and you look at the big federal government and think my gosh, there is no way i could make a difference. And i hope if you leave here with one message today, it is that the only thing that ever does make a difference is individuals. If you look at every great thing that has ever been accomplished, in our country or anywhere around the world frankly, its because of the courage, conviction and dedication of individuals. And its a duty that we have. You can make a difference and we need you to step forward, to run for office. And we also need you to be educated voters. And this isnt just young people, this is all americans. We live in a society where we argue about what the truth is. I see this especially with respect to the january 6 hearings and my republican colleagues response which is often to say, while those are just partisan. You ask, have you watched the hearings, and they say no. And everyone has an obligation to educate yourself. Everyone has an obligation to know that it is the former attorney general, Donald Trumps white house counsel, Donald TrumpsCampaign Manager and attorney. Those are the people who told him there was not fraud. The claims you are making about fraud are not true. People need to recognize and understand what the truth is. There is a tremendous effort underway to lie, to spread the big lie. And i would just urge you as you are thinking about your future careers, number one, please run for office because we really need you to do that. Number two, be educated voters. When you go in to cast your vote, think about the serious challenges our nation faces. And vote for serious people. People were going to deal with those challenges in a way that is worthy of this country and is up to the challenge. Not the person who is going to get the most likes on twitter, but vote for people who you can be confident will do the right thing. Host its such an important point. When i was a freshman in college, i thought i had it all figured out. I was a pretty big civics nerd, but it turned out you voted for a lot more than just president. And voting should be like this immensely empowering, positive experience. As all of you in the room make your plans to vote in a few weeks, just make sure you look up who is going to be on your ballot. Do homework ahead of time so when you show up, it doesnt feel like a test. There is a resource, ballot ready. Org, which will show you based on your zip code what all of your options are. I recommend what congresswoman cheney has said, if you vote and there are not people running for the things you care about, you can run. If there is anybody would like to talk about that more, i would love to followup. If you care about education, there are roles in your community you can make a difference. I love you brought up freedom, it was something im going to ask you. My greatgrandmother, a holocaust survivor, did not have freedom of her destiny until she came to this country. I also think of the next generation in this room, and i worry, im not sure how much Young Americans appreciate the gift of being american. Im wondering how we can help support them in understanding how powerful that is. Ms. Cheney its such an important question. When you talk about your greatgrandmother, i was talking to a young woman several weeks ago in wyoming who told me a similar story. That it was her grandparents who had escaped the holocaust and come to the United States. She said something powerful, they had the United States to come to. But im worried about what happens if we let our democracy slip away here . Where do we have to look to . And i think thats a very real and serious concern. And i say this as a mother, we dont do the kind of job we need to do in our schools, teaching our children about the magnificence, be exceptionalism of this great country. We ask so much of young people when we say to them all right, now it is your turn to step up and do everything you can to defend the freedoms we have. If we havent taken the time to educate people about this country, then people arent equipped. And its especially important in america, were the only nation in history founded on ideals. Ideals of freedom. If you think about why we love america, we love her because she is our country. Paraphrasing lincoln, we love her even more because she is free. That means we have to educate ourselves and understand, not just how that benefits us, but also how our constitutional structure works to defend that freedom. And why its so important that we abide by the rulings of the court. White such a constitutional and Legal Offense for a president to fail to execute the laws. That is his obligation under the constitution. And we have to make sure our young people understand what the constitution is, what it means, how it functions, and white so critically important to protect why it is so critically important to protect those freedoms. If you look back to our history, it is not a perfect history. It did not begin in a way that was perfect, but through the constitution rights have been expanded and extended, and thats fundamentally important as well. Host i love the notion that we have freedom in this country to criticize it in hopes of making it better. As much as democrats love to claim they are your own, you are a proud conservative. What does this mean for a 2part y system, do you ever think we will see the days of bipartisanship again . Ms. Cheney i never imagined i would spend so much time with democrats. And im sure they are surprised to be spending time with me also. But im very proud of the work weve done in the select committee, for example, and if anything can be nonpartisan, it should be nonpartisan. What weve been able to do is set aside our battles about politics and policy, and i dont mean to minimize those because they are very real. We have very real disagreements. But we all recognize that the foundation on which you can have those debates is the constitution. We have really worked as a committee. If you watch, we have done some very clear things. We dont have a process where each member speaks for five minutes, that has allowed us to have focus beyond the facts for the american people. But we also arent taking pot shots at each other, trying to score political points. I think thats been very important. When i think back to when my dad was in congress, in the late 70s and in the 80s, washington was a place where families came. Members brought their families to washington for the most part, we would go home during the summer and on the weekends but during the school year, the families were in washington. It makes a big difference when you spend time with each others families, and when you spend time with each other you are engaging with human beings. You are remembering that even if we have differences, we have a lot to learn from each other. The members of congress that i respect the most right now, in addition to those i served with on the select committee, are some of the women who are veterans. Who are democrats, who i served with on the Armed Services committee. Elaine luria, Abigail Spanberger is not on the Armed Services committee but she has another member i have huge respect for. They are democrats. I think abigail and i disagree on a lot, but i know those women are serious. And i know they will deal in substance. And i know we can have a debate, and we will learn and agree, we are not going to agree on that, and we will work together. Everybody should be represented by people who are willing to do that hard work, and we ought to demand that from our elected officials. Host i love that you brought up family, and id like to get a little bit personal. There are many young women in the room, in addition to being a leader, you are a woman, daughter, sister and mother. How do all these identities make you the person you are, and how you do it all . What practical advice to you have two young women . Host i think about how my kids would answer that question. I would say several things, my mom and dad did something that i am still in awe of. They somehow conveyed to mary and me that the most important thing going on in our lives was happening at the dinner table, at home. My dad certainly was not there all the time, my mom wasnt there sometimes, too. They both have very busy careers. But there was a grounding and a sensitive this matters. They also always talk to us like adults, and engaged us in conversation and in their work. And taught us what it meant to be involved in something bigger than just us. I think that makes a big difference. I also think there are basic characteristics and traits that govern our personal lives, that also should govern our professional lives. And i think about this too in terms of National Security issues and foreign policy. People i work with say National Security so complicated, and diplomacy is complicated. I think on some level, certainly, it is but there are basic lessons you learn as a mother that apply also in National Security situations. Like empty threats diminish the power of your influence. I have a whole list of these. At one point, i was thinking about writing a book about this, and i had a whole bunch of chapters about how mother had trained you for National Security policy. I went through the chapter headings and my husband said if you write that book, people will think our children are hezbollah. [laughs] but in all seriousness though, i look at the change thats happening around the world today. Just before i came over here, i saw a video posted of a girls school in iran where the School Leaders have brought in a member of the irgc to talk to the young women. And the video is of the young women tearing up their head coverings and twisting it in the air and yelling at him to leave, go home and you see this tremendous Movement Across iran being led by young women. And i see the young women in our country today, people like Kathy Hutchinson and sarah matthews. Young women, who when faced with this unbelievable situation when you had a president of the United States attempting to steal an election, and they testified in front of our committee that shows tremendous bravery and courage. Im so proud of what women have accomplished, and are accomplishing across the country, i want more women to run for office. The last thing i would say about this is, women very often when they come to see me and say, i want to run for office. Women will come, and they will say things like i have never fund raised, for i have never done public speaking, or gone doortodoor. A list of things they have never done or dont know how to do. I have never had a single man come to me with a list like that. Men dont make a list of what they dont know how to do. So, one really Important Message for young women is that the men have no idea what they are doing either. Its smart to have a sense of what you need to know and dont know, but you just have to do it. And we really need you to do that. We need you to jump in and run for office, its crucially important for the country. Host i think that should be an applause. Selfishly, i do hope you write that book and i can only imagine what the dinner conversation would be. This is my last question, audience, i hope you have your questions ready. Senator john mccain valued country over party, i worry about how the phrase patriotism has now been perceived as a republican thing. One of the things id love for you to reflect on in front of an audience of young people, what does patriotism mean . I think if you love something and want to help it grow, that sometimes means criticizing it to help it become the thing you know it can be. What do you think about patriotism and what it means to be a patriot . Ms. Cheney we can say to each other, we are democrats, republicans but we love our country more. And we will act in accordance with that. And that means you put your love of country above politics, your political career, and that we recognize that patriotism in america really is also allegiance to a fundamental sense of human freedom, and a le inalienable rights, the constitution protects. The government does not give us those rights. This is also something senator mccain relay stood for, and that is because american is application based upon a fundamental belief in human freedom, that gives us an obligation to defend freedom around the world. We cant maintain our own freedom if we withdraw, or isolationist, simply say we are going to come home and not be involved as a leader around the world. You cant look at Something Like what is happening today with russia and ukraine, and say america is neutral. Thats a front line in the war of freedom. And america must support ukraine. The really stunning developments for me when i look at the Republican Party as the party of reagan, the party that essentially won the cold war, and you look now at what i think is a growing putin wing under the Republican Party. You see news outlets like fox news running propaganda, not just on the Tucker Carlsen show although he is the biggest propagandist for prudent on that network, but you see it on many of their shows. And you have to ask yourself, whose side is fox on in this battle . And how could you have a wing of the Republican Party that thinks america would be standing with putin as he conducts that brutal invasion of ukraine. I think american patriotism fundamentally is about a love of freedom. And its about understanding and educating ourselves about what that means and the duty that brings with it. Host there should be a handheld mic coming, please keep your questions concise. The gentleman in the fourth row. Hi, my name is nathan and i want to say thank you so much, congresswoman cheney, for fighting for things i hold very dear. Ms. Cheney thank you very much. My question is for republicans who feel alienated, what is the best path for them to do to promote change . Joint a thirdparty with moderate democrats, stay within the party to effect change from within, what do you see is the best avenue . Ms. Cheney im not ready to say were going to allow trump and those who are at war with democracy to hijack our party. Im not ready to give that pride up. I think the party is in a very bad state. Its increasingly challenging. But i believe in a Republican Party that stands for the ideals weve been talking about. I think individually, republicans need to be engaged in battling for chairman, chairwoman seats. I was talking to rick davis earlier, he was telling me 70 of offices in arizona go unchallenged in elections. If you look at what the antidemocratic forces in the Republican Party are doing, they have a very concerted effort underway to take control at a local level, a state level, and fundamentally turn the Republican Party into something that is antiamerican. I think those of us who love the ideals and believe in the ideals of the party it stood for have to be engaged on the ground in that battle to challenge them, fill those seats, to make sure at a state level we dont watch this slip away. Again, i go back to the choice arizona voters have this election cycle. I say this as somebody who is first photo i ever cast, i was 18 and voted for ronald reagan. 40 years now, i have been voting republican. I dont know that i have ever voted for a democrat, but i felt lived if i lived in arizona now, i would. For governor and secretary of state, we cannot be in a position where we elect people who will not fundamentally uphold the sanctity of elections. Thats got to be more important than anything else. I also think its important as republicans to demand from our Republican Leaders that they not accept this unraveling of the democracy. People should not come here, Glenn Youngkin should not come here and campaign for kari lake. Ted cruz, who absolutely knows that what he is advocating is unconstitutional, they know it, and as republicans, there have to be consequences. And we have to make sure people understand we are going to vote for those we can trust and depend on to do the right thing. Host great question. The microphone is coming. Thank you for what you do. I was wondering if you could help us voters, have you noticed patterns of specific character traits or behaviors that lead to more serious representatives . People you think will put America First before their own parties . Ms. Cheney this goes back before 2016. But i think certainly, trump has made it worse. There is a level we have come to expect from our elected officials, things we would never expect from anybody else. Anybody in our family, who works for us, our boss or employees. For some of us, it is fundamental when you are trying to decide who to vote for, number one, we need to make sure we have competent people but you need to vote for the competent people. If you demand excellence in other areas of your life, we all become exhausted by politics. We can become exhausted by the yelling and screaming by politicians you can trust. Cant trust. Has voters on both sides of the aisle, we have to understand the country is at the edge of an abyss. Thats not overstating the danger we are facing. If we dont decide we are going to pull back from that, vote for serious people, hold our Elections Officials accountable. We arent going to accept appeasement of antidemocratic forces, then were going to go over the edge. So both in how we vote, conduct ourselves, what we demand, and also just run for office. I cant say that enough. We need people who care and are responsible and competent to get into these races. And its going to be a battle. This is not something we are going to solve in one cycle. Its going to be a battle for a long time. Those who are fighting to unravel our democracy need to know absolutely with total clarity, that those of us who are fighting to maintain our freedom, our constitutional republic, are stronger and more dedicated. And have more determination that they do, and that were going to win. Host i think one of the biggest things weve seen from this last cycle is that it takes so much more than just voting. One thing id love for this room, congresswoman cheney alluded to it, you can volunteer to be a poll worker. Power of the poll is a wonderful organization. If you are interested, definitely check that out. And two things id love for the young people to take home, over 70 of races in 2020 went uncontested Like Congress cheney said. Which means if you want to run, you will create some competition, which will mean further advance on the things you care about. Ms. Cheney i was just thinking about one more thing while you are talking. For the young people in the room, know that you are incredibly blessed in arizona do have role levels and mentors. There are people trying to unravel our democracy, but you also have people who have been unbelievably brave in the face of huge pressure. And learn about those people, whats the testimony in our hearings, talk to them and understand that when their time of testing came, both here and in arizona, we saw the same in georgia and michigan. These statewide officials in the face of tremendous pressure did not yield. That is just a role model for all of us and all of our children. Host only 6 of state legislators in america are under the age of 35. If you want your state and government to work for the things you care about, you have to run. We will do another question, there is a young woman in the third row. Thank you so much, congresswoman cheney, you are such an inspiration to me. I am a student at asu, and part of my studies have been finding ways to combat Political Polarization in general, but also on social media. Whats one actionable step all of us can take here either today or tomorrow to try and get rid of polarization once and for all . Ms. Cheney i think there is not a silver bullet. I think it is a usually important thing you are focused on. There are several things we can do. One is, there is absolutely cancel culture on our college campuses, no question. Conservatives face that cancel culture in a way that is a huge detriment to the academic environment. One young people go to college, you want them to have their views challenged. You want to know that you are going to be engaged in debate, you are going to learn new things, that you may change your views on things. But its that vigorous debate that is so important on our campuses. And today, too often conservative views are canceled. And we all have to work against that. We all have to make sure we are providing a place where people really can have that exchange of views. The other thing i would say is when i first got to congress, i spent a lot of time, when the house representatives vote, especially when you have a. He is a votes you will find all the members on the floor. I would go around and sit next to members i didnt know on both sides of the aisle injuries myself, and asked them about their story and how they came to be in congress. Without exception, that experience just may be really proud to be an american. Because there are so many viewpoints and perspectives, people i may have disagreed with on everything, but they work in congress for the right reasons. They were there because they want to serve the nation and their constituents. I think those kinds of conversations are so important. Finding people that you know you disagree with and making an effort to sit and talk to them. I think social media, understanding the extent to which social Media Companies have algorithms that will drive people into more and more radical places. Understanding of the damage that can be done as well as the tremendous toll social media is. We have to educate ourselves, and think about where we are getting our news. Understand that there are foreign adversaries who want to greet the kind of division we are seeing in this country today, and not falling prey to it. I also think we do have very real and important policy debates. I dont want you to think it is all going to be kumbaya, we agree on everything, but to do right by the policies you believe in, do the homework. And understand why you believe those things. Ill tell you one story. I was in a debate on the house floor about energy policy. The congressman on the other side, cicillini, a friend, a democrat, a lot of respect for him. In the debate, i said i believe fossil fuels are a National Treasure. I represent wyoming, thank you, stephen. Resounding applause for that. Wyoming is the largest coal producing part of the country. I said that, he came over to my side of the aisle and said i just have to ask you, did you just say fossil fuels are a National Treasure . He said, i dont know i have ever met anybody who believes that before. It was a vigorous debate, a Great Exchange of views. Thats what served the nation, is understanding there are principles we wont be willing t o compromise on, but there are big issues on which we can find Common Ground to move forward together. Host gentlemen on the far left. Congresswoman, when you were third Ranking Member in the 115th congress, this country saw a record high on employment for women and minorities. If republicans take the house, how can you provide our country similar success . Ms. Cheney i think the presidency matters. I think policies like the ones you are talking about are set from the white house. The policies that youre talking about in terms of tax policy, unemployment policy, those characterize a lot of policies of the trump administration. I think its important to recognize that philosophically, things like low taxes, Strong National defense, those things really matter. I think who we elect as president really matters. Theres not a lot one house of congress can do. I think that if we do those things to get to being able to implement the kind of policies i think the country needs, the Republican Party be in a position where we can actually win the popular vote in the president ial election. We have not won the popular vote in the president ial election as republicans since 2004. When you think there are decent policies that are right for the country, you have to get people to trust you, to believe, that they will support you and the policies you implement. You have to be in a position where you can win an election. One of the real tragedies we face today is that the Republican Party, instead of saying we are going to be focused on substantive policies we believe in, has embraced donald trump. Ed is doing everything they can to try to explain away his behavior. And its a tragedy because of what it does constitutionally to the country, and because it means we are not out there talking about what its going to take to meet the other challenges and threats we face. I think all of these issues of policy are going to be ones that are going to be decided in large part by whoever the next president of the United States is. I think its going to be crucially important that we elect people at all levels that we can trust. When we elect the president , you hand that person the security and safety of the nation. You really are saying, ok, we are going to put this in your hands. Trust you to do what is right for this country. There is a prayer inscribed over the fireplace in the dining room of the white house. And its a prior that john adams wrote, and it says may not but honest and wise men inhabit this house. I know he also meant women, but its a important thing to keep in mind. Host gentlemen in the second row. Time check, how any more questions can we do . Ok perfect. My question is about messaging. I think politics is as much storytelling as it is policy. With the device and rhetoric we see now, and how, i know some democrats are funded by kari lake. How do we ethically tell stories in a way that is not devices . Ms. Cheney in politics, it can be very easy especially i think in congress, to sort of say, let me pick an issue, tax policy. And say what of the talking points, what are the democratic or republican talking points . What are my talking points . I think it comes down to voters demanding more than that. Look, you can tell when you talk to a politician if they are spinning. If you see somebody on television, if they are giving you talking points. And it takes a lot of time to get to a place where you can demand more from them. But i also think its about having a commitment to substance. Having a commitment to choosing people who can explain what they believe, and at the end of it you might say thank you, i appreciate you took the time to say with you believe explain what you believe. Which is great, but then you can have an exchange about it. But watch politicians, and when you watch them, think about that. Think if i were sitting across the table from this person, what i think they are just spinning me for actually giving a thoughtful answer to my questions. And politics is about incentives, so if politicians are incentivized to say crazy things, theyll say crazy things. I think thats why we really do have two get back to a place where people that are actually engaged in substance are incentivized. And that means with votes. Host perfect, the gentleman in the frontrow. Thank you, my name is tam. Im an honors student here at asu. Ive learned a lot in college, ive failed a lot and now im starting to see some success. One of the things ive learned from failure is the integrity to hold your head up when you lose. Ms. Cheney im familiar with that. You are a shining example of integrity. But as we look forward as young voters, what are some of the key aspects of integrity, and some of the strengths i guess i go back to it is not all that different from what you would be looking for or expect from your friends or neighbors, how we treat each other. I think when you are thinking about integrity in elected officials, it is really important to ask yourself a question about what they would do when the chips are down. What would they do when they are untested . We have lived through see how people operate and human nature does not change but it is nonetheless disappointing when you see the extent to which that was such a popular path. I think demanding the kind of honesty we need is important. Committing yourself to thinking about running and whatever level it is to be educated about those issues and the challenges, when i talk to young people about running, i think often about the story of my dad. I wrote a book with my dad or helped him write his memoirs. As we were doing that, he told me stories i had never heard before. That is kind of amazing. He flunked out twice. That is another story for another day. He was back at the university of wyoming. He had only been there president kennedy spoke at the field house. My dad told me this story. You can google that speech and you can hear the audio what president kennedy said. It is overly moving thing to do. He talks about young people. Excellence along some of the best uses of your talent. There is no path that will provide that for you more clearly. I think it is such an Important Message. One that the blessing of it being an american that you can influence our government, you can decide what laws we live under and you have the opportunities do that. Those fundamental lessons of integrity. There will be more conversations like this as i mentioned in my introduction. Today you got to hear from congresswoman cheney that will hopefully change the trajectory of your future. Join me in thinking congresswoman cheney. Thank you all. Thank you. I want to thank all of you for participating in this conversation. Thank you, congresswoman cheney. Thank you, sophia. Thank you to my colleagues at the Mccain Institute. Especially david white who orchestrated all this. I hope all of you leave this room feeling really empowered and really inspired and that you go anddates. [cheers]