Fact Check: Did Liz Cheney pen letter urging Democrats to resist Trump's 'authoritarian machine'?

WASHINGTON, DC: A blistering open letter has been bouncing around the internet, torching the Democratic Party for being too soft while warning about President Donald Trump’s “coordinated, authoritarian machine.”

What's more? Lots of people thought the author was none other than former Republican Rep Liz Cheney.

“Dear Democratic Party, I need more from you," the 1,400-word screed began. "You keep sending emails begging for $15, while we're watching fascism consolidate power in real time. This administration is not simply 'a different ideology.' It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control."

“And you? You're still asking for decorum and donations. WTF. That won't save us. I don't want to hear another polite floor speech. I want strategy. I want fire. I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one. Every time I see something from the DNC, it's asking me for funds. Surprise," it stated.

“Those of us who donate don't want to keep sending money just to watch you stand frozen as the Constitution goes up in flames — shaking your heads and saying, 'Well, there's not much we can do. He has the majority.' I call bulls**t," the letter added.

Origin of the claim

The text went viral in August, plastered across multiple Facebook posts with Liz Cheney’s name slapped on top.

But receipts told another story. The earliest version of the letter popped up on April 15 in a Facebook group once called "Liz Cheney/Adam Kinzinger Against Trump." A user named “Pru Pru” claimed authorship in the post. Then on May 13, the same user reposted it, this time flat-out saying Cheney didn’t write it.

That didn’t stop the rumor mill from running wild. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich even shared it on his Substack in June, calling it “A remarkable message.”

After getting wind of the confusion, he quietly updated the post with a reality check. “I'm told that the following message, […] purporting to be from Liz Cheney, is a hoax. She didn't send it. It's an excellent and important message nonetheless," Reich said.

Zero evidence linking Liz Cheney to viral letter

Liz Cheney herself has been silent as a stone. She didn’t drop a word of it on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Bluesky. Snopes dug through her feeds and online search engines and came up empty. There is zero credible evidence tying her to the viral rant.

The fact-checkers even tried reaching Cheney through her gig at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and various campaign email addresses, but didn't get a response.

Meanwhile, “Pru Pru” kept insisting it was their work, introducing it as “Written by Dr Pru Lee (Pru Pru)” and even commenting beneath their own post to confirm authorship. Still, no one knows if that note came before or after people started misattributing it to Cheney.

Toward the end, the letter reads, “I've only got 6,000 followers — but the groups I'm in? The networks I touch? Over a quarter million. Often when I speak, it echoes.”

But Cheney’s got way more than that. Across her Facebook, X, and Bluesky accounts, she boasted north of 700,000 followers at the time, with her Bluesky alone sitting at 165,000.

Liz Cheney’s own pivot

Even though she didn’t write the viral post, Liz Cheney herself has definitely changed lanes politically.

By 2024, she refused to consider herself part of Trump’s Republican Party anymore and reportedly cast her vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.

Her political action group, Our Great Task, even sent nearly all of its cash to Democrats during the 2024 race.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.