'Chokehold on democracy': Expert shows how Trump gets voters to 'go along with the lie'

Former President Donald Trump and his Republican loyalists in Congress have created a "chokehold" on democracy, warned Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights president Maya Wiley on Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "The Beat."

This comes as former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) released a new book that spills how much her fellow GOP colleagues knew what they were doing was wrong when they went to bat for Trump in the leadup to January 6, including newly appointed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).

"Let's not forget, these are lawmakers. They write laws that send people to prison, get people executed, send people off to die," said anchor Ari Melber, himself an attorney. "Cheney's history with that, she's saying, I'm defending democracy. Then you have other folks who admit they are so afraid of the very people who stormed the Capitol, right — this is how things get worse. This is how you lose a democracy. There's nothing new about political activism in the United States."

"If you're going to send other people off to die and ask the Capitol Police to protect you, what does it mean when, as Cheney writes, one Republican told Cheney he knew what Trump did was impeachable, but he was afraid voting to impeach would put his wife and new baby in danger?" Melber continued, turning to Wiley.

ALSO READ: Former GOP congressman invites scrutiny by using campaign cash for 'security'

"That's why democracy is in danger," said Wiley. "Because you create a culture like Donald Trump created which, one, says there will be retribution if you're not loyal to me. Right? That's what a lot of what we've seen from Donald Trump is created. But also his power in the party is about the fact that so many people will act, including the way they acted on January 6th, if he sends the right signal."

"But that means not only do you have a party which has enabled norm-breaking, it's also enabled lawbreaking, and it's created a chokehold on democracy that says, everyone, when we know it's wrong and dangerous, for whatever reason, whether it's our power or our fear, we're going to stay silent and go along with the lie," Wiley continued.

Watch the video below or at the link.

Maya Wiley says Trump and the GOP have created a "chokehold on democracy"www.youtube.com