Dick Cheney comes to Capitol on Jan. 6, says he's 'deeply disappointed' in GOP leadership
He spoke with ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
While most Republicans were absent on Capitol Hill for the Jan. 6 anniversary Thursday, one of the party’s most prominent elder statesmen was there.
ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl spoke to former Vice President Dick Cheney just off the House floor.
Asked why he came to the Capitol this day, Cheney said, "It’s an important historical event," referring to the anniversary of the insurrection. "You can't overestimate how important it is."
He added, "I’m deeply disappointed we don’t have better leadership in the Republican Party to restore the Constitution.”
He noted that his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is an exception. She is the vice chair of the House select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol.
Cheney then went to the House floor with his daughter -- he has lifetime floor privileges as a congressman who held she seat she now occupies -- to observe a moment of silence.
One by one, Democratic members, including some liberals who castigated him and his politics when he was vice president -- approached him to shake his hand and pay their respects.
Besides the Cheneys and her staffers, there were no other Republicans in sight.
ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Mariam Khan contributed to this report.