Cheney on Brink of Losing GOP Leadership Role After Voting to Impeach Trump
Leader may pay a high price for her decision
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Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney made the decision a few weeks ago to side with Democrats and voted to impeach President Trump.
But, despite support from fellow GOP leaders like Mitch McConnell, she may pay a high price for her decision.
Cheney claimed her choice to indict the president was a “vote of conscience.”
Her move hurt members of the caucus she ostensibly leads, according to many members.
They also note Cheney's extreme rhetoric when pushing for Trump’s removal from office.
Cheney claimed of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots in a statement:
“The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.
“Everything that followed was his doing.”
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The vote angered many of her colleagues and constituents, which already provided a primary challenge back home, a censure by members of her own state party, and now she may lose the House leadership.
Cheney already angered members of her conference with support for primary opponents of a member who opposes her preferred levels of foreign interventionism.
Members said a Republican leader voting for impeachment was a scandal.
“I like Liz personally,” said another member on condition of anonymity.
“But she should not be in leadership. You can’t throw your members under the bus. You can’t be a talking point Democrats use against every other member.”
Cheney’s popularity in Wyoming plummeted, according to one poll.
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Trump pollster John McLaughlin conducted a survey finding that only 10 percent of GOP primary voters reported willingness to vote for Cheney in next year’s party contest.
Just 13 percent said they would support the incumbent’s re-election in the primary's general pending survival.
“If Liz Cheney had a rally with all of her supporters, they could likely meet inside one of the elevators in the capital and still have plenty of room for social distancing,” Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz blasted.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defended Cheney's decision to vote for Trump's impeachment, saying she had "courage to act" on her "deep convictions."
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) said he supported calls for Cheney's resignation.
"I don’t think she should be the chair of the Republican conference anymore," Biggs said.
But McConnell came to Cheney’s defense.
"Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them," McConnell said in a statement.
