WASHINGTON — The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it "legitimate political discourse," formally rebuking two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of former President Donald Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it.

The Republican National Committee's overwhelming voice vote to censure Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at its winter meeting in Salt Lake City culminated more than a year of vacillation, which started with party leaders condemning the Capitol attack and Trump's conduct, then shifted to downplaying and denying it.

On Friday, the party went further in a resolution slamming Cheney and Kinzinger for taking part in the House investigation of the assault, saying they were participating in "persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse."

It was an extraordinary statement about the deadliest attack on the Capitol in 200 years, in which a mob of Trump's supporters stormed the complex, brutalizing police officers and sending lawmakers into hiding. Nine people died in connection with the attack, and more than 150 officers were injured. The party passed the resolution without discussion and almost without dissent.

The censure is the latest and most forceful effort by the Republican Party to minimize what happened and the broader attempt by Trump and his allies to invalidate the results of the 2020 election. In approving it and opting to punish two of its own, Republicans seemed to embrace a position that many of them have only hinted at: that the assault and the actions that preceded it were acceptable.

It came days after Trump suggested that, if reelected in 2024, he would consider pardons for those convicted in the Jan. 6 attack and for the first time described his goal as aiming to "overturn" the election results.

For Republicans in Washington, the party's actions threatened new division as their leaders try to focus attention on what they call the failings of the Biden administration.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wrote on Twitter, "Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost." He did not mention that the party chair who presided over the meeting and orchestrated the censure resolution, Ronna McDaniel, is his niece.

Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) during a hearing of the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 19, 2021. (Al Drago/The New York Times)

The party's far-right flank has been agitating to boot Cheney and Kinzinger out of the House Republican Conference for months, a push that Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, has tried to brush aside. And their formal censure is sure to stir up those efforts again.

"We need to move on from that whole discussion and, frankly, move forward and get the House back in 2022," said Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., who is facing a difficult reelection campaign in a newly configured district.

Most House Republicans tried to ignore the actions of the party Friday, refusing to answer questions or saying they had not read the censure resolution. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, called it "dumb stuff," while Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., lamented the distraction from "this abysmal administration's record."

Democrats, however, were incensed, especially at the censure resolution's description of the Capitol attack as "ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" and the ongoing legal investigations of Trump in New York and Georgia "as Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power."

"The Republican Party is so off the deep end now that they are describing an attempted coup and a deadly insurrection as political expression," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the special House committee investigating the Capitol attack. "It is a scandal that historians will be aghast at, to think that a major political party would be denouncing Liz Cheney for standing up for the Constitution and not saying anything about Donald Trump's involvement in the insurrection."

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is also on the committee, said, "Their party has degenerated into a cult to the former president, unwilling to acknowledge the truth, and I think they condemn themselves with their resolution."

In his own defense, Kinzinger said, "I have no regrets about my decision to uphold my oath of office and defend the Constitution. I will continue to focus my efforts on standing for truth and working to fight the political matrix that's led us to where we find ourselves today."

The resolution speaks repeatedly of party unity as the goal of censuring the lawmakers, saying the party's ability to focus on the Biden administration was being "sabotaged" by the "actions and words" of Cheney and Kinzinger that indicate "they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump more than they support winning back a Republican majority in 2022."

More practically, the moves of the party in Salt Lake City will make it easier for the Republican apparatus to abandon Cheney and throw its weight and money behind her main primary challenger, Harriet Hageman.

The censure resolution declares that the party "shall immediately cease any and all support of" both lawmakers "as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the conference."

Kinzinger has already announced he won't seek reelection, as have several other House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the attack on the Capitol. Cheney, however, has vowed to stand for reelection.

Earlier this week, the Wyoming delegation to the Republican National Committee submitted a so-called "Rule 11″ letter, formalizing party support for Hageman. The existence of the letter was reported by The Washington Post.

The letter allows the Republican National Committee to send resources to the Wyoming branch of the party to spend on Hageman's behalf — essentially designating her as the party's presumptive nominee. The designations are common in Republican politics but typically are used to support incumbents who may be facing token primary challengers. Florida's delegation, for instance, filed a similar letter months ago that allowed the national committee to funnel resources to support the reelection campaigns for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio.

Cheney, who faces an uphill battle in her reelection bid against a Republican Party aligned with Trump, said party leaders "have made themselves willing hostages" to Trump.

"I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump," she said. "History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what."

Cheney's spokesman, Jeremy Adler, condemned the Wyoming party leadership and its chair, Frank Eathorne, for directing resources to Hageman. Eathorne did not respond to messages Friday; other members of the Wyoming delegation declined to comment.

"Frank Eathorne and the Republican National Committee are trying to assert their will and take away the voice of the people of Wyoming before a single vote has even been cast," Adler said.

Cheney has a commanding financial advantage over Hageman, according to federal campaign finance reports released earlier this week. Cheney entered 2022 with nearly $5 million in campaign cash, while Hageman reported just $380,000.

The censure resolution was watered down from an initial version that called directly for the House Republican Conference to "expel" Cheney and Kinzinger "without delay." That demand was dropped. However, the language condemning the attack on "legitimate political discourse" was then added.

William J. Palatucci, a Republican National Committee member from New Jersey, said those changes were made "behind closed doors." The final language was officially circulated to committee members Friday morning. He called it "cancel culture at its worst."

"The national committee attacking Liz Cheney is distracting and counterproductive," he said. "We should be spending our time shooting at Democrats, not Republicans."

c.2021 The New York Times Company

Oh, they do eat their own so translucently.

Betrayal - many of us who happen to live in Texas also know that Abbott is - at best - an idiot. I can't even imagine 'at worst'....but it gets worse every month.

Somewhere I saw a cartoon this week that I can't find again. It was a picture of Abbott saying 'see, i told you the lights wouldn't go out' and waving a flashlight. If anyone has access to that, I'd appreciate seeing it again.

Betrayal - thanks for the condolences. Yes, he is a climate change denier, an anti-vaxer, a book burner - better stop or the rant will go on for a whole page. It's sometimes been a challenge living through hurricanes but I find that easier than freezing cold. Fingers crossed that at least I did not lose power last night or today.

Illinois Lady - sorry to see this latest idiot Repub move against Cheney and Kinzinger but thanks for posting. I feel like I want to write each of them personally and thank them for having morals.

The body has its own way of knowing, a knowing that has little
to do with logic, and much to do with truth, little to do with control,
and much to do with acceptance, little to do with division
and analysis and much to do with union.

Marilyn Sewell

MinusTwo: I hope you still have power and do not have to suffer in the cold. This is weather we are used to but not you. We are currently at 27 and it is windy so the chill factor lowers how it feels.

As far as Pence, now that he has finally grown a set it is as the adage goes "a day late and a dollar short". The fact that he continued to support the man who did not take exception to the fact that the "alleged patriot visitors" wanted to lynch him is beyond the pale. His allegiance did him in and as far as his political career? I think it is behind him and I hope he enjoys being a political has been hack. What a loser on more than one scene. Do you think mother made him do it?

And the real Mike Pence:

I can assure you that if my boss sent rampaging mobs through my place of work trying to kill me, it wouldn't take me two years to express my disapproval over his or her actions!

A big part of Pence appears to be as demented as his boss if he thinks people on his side of the aisle see him as a viable candidate. They are not looking for the has-beens from '16.

Life is short. Each year passes more quickly than the previous one. It's easy to deny yourself many of life's simple pleasures because you want to be practical. Forget about practical and decide instead to become a joy collector. Always be on the lookout for gifts without ribbons. God is strewing them across your path right now. His gifts come tagged with a note: "Life can be wonderful. Do your best not to miss it!" Enjoy what it is before it isn't anymore. . . . Dare to slip on a pair of bunny slippers once in a while! Surprise yourself! Enjoy the little things because one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things! -Barbara Johnson

Got a great chortle out of the Loon speaking about Pelosi tearing up his speech (State of the Union) because it was a government doc. and was against the law to tear up. As if he really knew for sure or cared. Maybe her actions are why he felt compelled so often to tear up his 'government' docs. I have to wonder about the ones that were not found or the ones that couldn't be taped back together. Even with what I'm sure is likely missing Colbert is so right. The Loon began before ever taking ofc. of being one of the worlds' worst humans -- no matter what he was doing. The hell he put us and so many through for 4 yrs. defies description almost. The fact that so many still seem so tethered to him does too. I do think he could likely finish ruining the Rep. party.

In other news -- David Bossie wants to replace Rona McDaniel, and K. McCarthy, weak-willed spinless human that he is, will not become SOTH. Chris Christie also opined that the Loon really did inspire and cause the 1/6th. riot. Just like the others, expediency shows up when the chips are looking all negative. Who could fail to see this along with the others, transparency? Always get on the winning side like you were there the whole time. Easy to make a list of those you despise, when they show you who they really are.

Illinois...You and others keep opening stores of reliably intelligent information that I both do and do not want to enter. I do because of they offer complex analysis and I do not because of the same that requires a level of intellectual fortitude to dig deeply into the arguments. Thanks to all you deep thinking divers.

Charlie is such a good guy. He’s been our Ed Comis. AG, and Governor. Rep then, changed parties to Dem. Hope he kicks DeathSantis in the Gulf.

(The Hill) — The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) retrieved multiple White House record boxes last month that were improperly kept at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property, The Washington Post reported.

The boxes repotedly contained important records of communication, gifts and letters from world leaders, which, according to the Post, is a violation of the Presidential Records Act.

The newspaper added that the boxes retrieved from the Florida estate included correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as well as a letter from former President Barack Obama to Trump.

The Post noted that recent administrations have all had some Presidential Records Act violations, including the use of unofficial email and telephone accounts as well as the destruction of e-mails.

But a source told the newspaper that the transfer to Mar-a-Lago was "out of the ordinary… NARA has never had that kind of volume transfer after the fact like this."

The Hill has reached out to the National Archives and Trump's office for comment.

The Presidential Records Act, which was put in place following the Watergate scandal, requires administrations to document and maintain records of the White House decision-making process.

The new development comes just a week after the National Archives and Records Administration handed over some Trump White House documents to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection that were reportedly torn up and taped back together.

The National Archives said last week that documents "included paper records that had been torn up by former President Trump."

The former president had sued to stop the committee from being given certain documents, with his attorney claiming it was illegal and that Trump wanted to preserve privileges over certain documents.