Liz Cheney Booed During Commencement Speech at Alma Mater

Former Representative Liz Cheney didn’t have the warmest welcome when she traveled to Colorado College to give a commencement address to her alma mater on Sunday.

Cheney, who was ousted from her Wyoming seat in August after a tumultuous few years in Congress, has lost a lot of support from the Republican Party for openly criticizing former President Donald Trump after the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. She was removed from her position as the third-ranking Republican within the House of Representatives after voting to impeach the former president for his alleged involvement in the insurrection. Cheney also served as one of only two Republicans on the House select committee that investigated the riot, with former Representative Adam Kinzinger being the panel’s second GOP member.

On Sunday, some students at the private liberal arts college seemed eager to express their distaste for Cheney by booing her. Some of the graduates also turned their chairs away so their backs were facing the former congresswoman as she delivered the commencement address. Although she received a negative response by some, the Daily Mail reported that many students and their parents applauded throughout her remarks.

Newsweek reached out to Cheney’s political action committee by email for comment.

Meanwhile on Twitter, photos showed one graduate with an inscribed graduation cap that read: “Why listen to a racist, imperialist, transphobic, war monger?? Your hate is loud.” Many social media users believed the student’s message was a swipe at Cheney and the Republican Party. However, Trump supporters felt the graduates were booing and turning their backs on Cheney because they were supportive of the former president instead.

“Liz Cheney gave the commencement address at the Colorado college she graduated from and half the graduates turned their chairs to show her their backs!” Twitter user @Daytobehappy tweeted, who claims to be “ultra MAGA” in her Twitter bio.

Other people within the MAGA community also felt the negative reaction was because of Trump supporters in the crowd. Most MAGA members denounced Cheney after Trump called her a “bitter, horrible human being” when she was purged from the House of Representatives in 2021.

“She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country. She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the Border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy. She is a warmonger whose family stupidly pushed us into the never-ending Middle East Disaster, draining our wealth and depleting our Great Military, the worst decision in our Country’s history…,” Trump said in a statement in May 2021.

According to the Daily Mail, Cheney spoke poorly of Trump and the Republican Party during her speech to the graduates, specifically regarding the 2020 election and the insurrection, but didn’t expound on Trump’s 2024 presidential bid. She also avoided addressing her own future in politics, which has been a question ever since she was ousted by Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman last year.

“Returning from sister’s Colorado College graduation where most seniors turned their backs in protest on commencement speaker Liz Cheney. MAGA sentiment now reaches deep into liberal arts campuses,” Twitter user @jawillick tweeted on Sunday.

However, some people respected Cheney for turning her back on the Republican Party.

“Liz Cheney calls out Trump & DeSantis. ‘Any candidate who says he will pardon Jan 6th defendants isn’t qualified to be president.’ And during speech at Colorado College, Cheney said Republicans wanted her to lie, say 2020 election was stolen. But Cheney put country over party!” Twitter user @AlexButterfly01 tweeted.

For months, people have questioned if Cheney will throw her hat into the ring for the 2024 presidential election in an effort to block Trump in his path to reelection, but the former congresswoman has yet to officially announce any future political plans.

Meanwhile, Trump remains the GOP frontrunner in polling for the 2024 election. A recent Harvard/Harris poll conducted from May 17 to 18 shows Trump has a 42-point lead over his closest contender, which is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The poll surveyed 2,004 registered voters.