In a dramatic Oval Office briefing on Monday, former President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack against former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, questioning the rationale behind providing support to her. This scathing remark came on the heels of a last-minute pardon issued by former President Joe Biden—a move that has since ignited fierce debate within GOP circles and the broader political arena.

The pardon, granted to Cheney alongside several other high-profile figures, forms part of a sweeping set of executive decisions aimed at addressing controversies surrounding the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. With roughly 1,500 pardons and 14 commutations related to the events of that day, the Biden administration’s actions have been met with mixed reactions from both sides of the political spectrum.

During a news conference held in the Oval Office, where Trump was busy signing several executive orders, reporters pressed him on a variety of topics. In response, he touched upon the topic of pardons and, more specifically, the controversial decision to pardon former GOP lawmaker Liz Cheney. Trump’s remarks were forceful, as he lambasted Cheney—whom he labeled with strong language—as being emblematic of what he described as a broader trend of political mismanagement and betrayal.