Liz Cheney vs Trump Republicans
Cheney loses leadership post after House Republicans vote to remove her
Victoria Eavis May 12, 2021 Updated 11 hrs ago
House Republicans voted Wednesday morning to remove Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming’s lone member of the chamber and an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, from her leadership position.
“I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” she told reporters after the vote. “We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language, we’ve seen his lack of commitment and dedication to the Constitution, and I think it’s very important that we make sure whomever we elect is somebody who will be faithful to the Constitution.”
Cheney told reporters that Wednesday’s vote showed where the Republicans are as a party right now. She said it was impossible to embrace the lie that the 2020 election was rigged and the Constitution at the same time.
“I think that the party is in a place that we have got to bring it back from, and we’ve got to get back to a position where we are a party that can fight for conservative principles, that can fight for substance,” she said. “We cannot be dragged backward by the very dangerous lies of a former president.”
Cheney: Job now to never let Trump back in office
CNN reported Cheney was ousted by voice vote after a meeting that lasted 20 minutes.
“I don’t think it’s any surprise,” said state Rep. Landon Brown. “It’s not the Republican Party anymore, it’s Trump’s party.”
Continued dispute
This is the second time Cheney’s colleagues have attempted to unseat Cheney as GOP conference chair, the No. 3 Republican leadership position in the House. The last vote occurred on Feb. 3, and Cheney comfortably survived by a vote of 145-61.
Cheney was one of only 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump, charging that he played a role in the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, and she has continually hit back against Trump’s repeated false claims about election fraud. She did not back down, even as Republican leadership turned against her in recent days.
“Our duty is clear,” she said Tuesday night from the House floor. “Every one of us who has sworn the oath must act to prevent the unraveling of our democracy. This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans. Remaining silent, and ignoring the lie, emboldens the liar.”
“I will not participate in that,” she continued. “I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy.”
House minority leader and close Trump ally Kevin McCarthy, who has endorsed Cheney’s ouster, recently said that the effort to unseat her is not tied to her vote to impeach the president in January, but rather her inability to communicate the desired message of the Republican party.
“No, there’s no concern on how she voted on impeachment,” McCarthy said on Fox & Friends prior to the vote. “I have heard from members concerned about her ability to carry out the job as conference chair, to carry out the message.”
Trump clearly relished the ouster of one of his most prominent critics, calling her a “bitter, horrible human being” in a statement released shortly after the vote.
“She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country,” Trump said in the statement. “She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the Border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy. She is a warmonger whose family stupidly pushed us into the never-ending Middle East Disaster, draining our wealth and depleting our Great Military, the worst decision in our Country’s history.”Republican leadership has been focused on unifying and communicating a coherent message since the election, but Cheney has been reluctant to go along with leadership. After a House GOP retreat aimed at unifying the party and crafting a message, Cheney and McCarthy were reportedly at odds over Trump’s unfounded claims that the election was stolen.
Next in line
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik is expected to replace Cheney as conference chair. Trump, McCarthy and Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, all endorsed Stefanik for the position.
When Congress reconvened the night following the insurrection that resulted in multiple deaths, Stefanik gave a floor speech that once again alleged that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — accusations that lack evidence.Cheney and Stefanik were previously allies. In 2019, Stefanik told Cheney, “I was very proud to nominate you to serve as our conference chair.” Stefanik’s political action committee also donated a total of $10,000 to Cheney’s 2020 reelection campaign, according to campaign finance filings.
Cheney had been seen as a rising star in the party before her rift with Trump. She became the highest-ranking Republican woman in House history two years into her congressional career.
“We need somebody who is articulate and well-respected; she’s both, and she’s a fighter,” Rep. Barry Loudermilk told Politico in 2018.
In-state battle
Several Republicans are challenging Cheney in the 2022 primary, and the state GOP censured her earlier this year. A number of her primary challengers are building a campaign on the opposition to Cheney while appealing to Trump’s base in the state.
“Even after being ousted from leadership, Liz Cheney’s rage keeps building for Donald J. Trump. Such hatred makes for self destruction. No one should hate this much, it makes one unfit for office,” said state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, one of her most prominent primary challengers.
But building a campaign on opposition to Cheney may present its difficulties.
“The people that are running against her have to keep that message up for 18 months, and it’s going to become that song on the radio that no one wants to hear anymore,” Brown said. “It might end up hurting them more than it will help them.”
The Wyoming Democratic Party, meanwhile, quickly released a statement Wednesday saying Republicans will regret their decision to toss Cheney from leadership.
“The vote held today is further confirmation that Republicans are more focused on defending a failed president and his lies than doing the work of the American people,” Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe Barbuto said. “In Wyoming and across the nation, the GOP is willfully choosing to build their party on a foundation of misinformation and falsehoods. It’s a decision they will come to regret and voters will remember for many election cycles to come.”
I went to my board of elections office yesterday and changed my party affiliation from Republican (which I’ve been since 1993) to Independent.....I can no longer be associated with the Republican Party.
By the way, Liz Cheney’s replacement is my House Representative. Stefanik is a typical phony opportunistic politician who attached herself to Trump purely for her own advancement. She began her career as a moderate Republican but quickly changed her spots as our district began to lean heavily for Trump....Her actions prior to and including January 6th will forever brand her a seditionist.
Interestingly, her district may be significantly realigned given the census results for New York and the fact that New York government is controlled by the Democratic Party.
I really can't believe the power and draw that Trump still has on these politicians.
On one hand I'm fine with Trump destroying the Republican party except for the fact that leaves more one party control which I hate. Maybe somehow we get a fractured Republican split out of it for a third party...Trumpicans, traditional Republicans, Democrats (maybe they can break up some point in the near future too).
The independent minded people in these parties is what we need more of, too bad party politics eat them whole.
I, too, remained dumbfounded that anyone believes the election was stolen or that the insurrection at the Capitol wasn't a traitorous act incited by Trump or that Trump is worthy of followers of any kind. He's a failed real estate developer & reality TV host. He's not good looking or charismatic or anything that usually draws a cult following.
There are presumably 100 "top Republicans," including elected federal & state officials, former Cabinet members, & an ambassador threatening to start a 3rd party because Trump's GOP is unrecognizable to them. W Bush seems to think it's unrecognizable as well.
Part of the reason Trump has this hold is that for too many Republicans their only real challenge is their individual primary and NOT their general election. This is due to gerrymandering by long controlled Republican states for many, many election cycles. And since Trump has a couple hundred million raised from the members of his cult, he can afford to threaten primary challenges to any politician who doesn’t support his lunacy. The vast majority of elected Republicans know Trump is dangerous, full of sh@t, incompetent, corrupt, etc....They simply tow the line in order to keep their job....Pure selfishness in other words. Which is why I simply can no longer be part of such madness.
Posted by: @cyclone88I, too, remained dumbfounded that anyone believes the election was stolen or that the insurrection at the Capitol wasn't a traitorous act incited by Trump or that Trump is worthy of followers of any kind. He's a failed real estate developer & reality TV host. He's not good looking or charismatic or anything that usually draws a cult following.
There are presumably 100 "top Republicans," including elected federal & state officials, former Cabinet members, & an ambassador threatening to start a 3rd party because Trump's GOP is unrecognizable to them. W Bush seems to think it's unrecognizable as well.
If this in fact happens it would split the republican vote helping the democrats thwart any return of Trump. Maybe Liz would be the candidate as she said she'll do what she can to stop the return of the seditionist 45.
"My friends say I'm ugly I got a masculine face." Tom Waits
self preservation over public service ... tow that line or get kicked to the curb
I suppose from purely a party standpoint I can understand, if you don't represent what they want you to represent than that is their right to demote some while promoting others who do represent the message. They are just so far off track now, the chance for any rational debate or honest conversation with some of these people is gone for good if was ever genuinely there, at least there was an appearance of it sometimes. The circus left town, but all the clowns are still playing the part.
Posted by: @oldcootPosted by: @cyclone88I, too, remained dumbfounded that anyone believes the election was stolen or that the insurrection at the Capitol wasn't a traitorous act incited by Trump or that Trump is worthy of followers of any kind. He's a failed real estate developer & reality TV host. He's not good looking or charismatic or anything that usually draws a cult following.
There are presumably 100 "top Republicans," including elected federal & state officials, former Cabinet members, & an ambassador threatening to start a 3rd party because Trump's GOP is unrecognizable to them. W Bush seems to think it's unrecognizable as well.
If this in fact happens it would split the republican vote helping the democrats thwart any return of Trump. Maybe Liz would be the candidate as she said she'll do what she can to stop the return of the seditionist 45.
True in a general POTUS election, but at the Congressional level a non-Trump R candidate vs a pro-Trump R candidate could yield an interesting mix of Representatives and Senators.
Personally I still support some of the concepts and ideas that came out of the Trump "movement", but the approach and messaging totally needs to shift away from him and get back to how and why those issues can or should be moved forward. I think one could definitely represent certain positions all while not being totally in the bag for Trump and all things that come with that. You shouldn't really have to be on board with everything, all or nothing, that serves nobody well, but in this Republican party, you definitely have to.
Those in power in the GOP obviously favor an autocratic government (with them in control) over a democratic government with the other party in control. House republicans are already re-writing history and calling Jan 6 a peaceful protest. The GOP is no longer the party of Lincoln, TR, and Reagan
We need a new political party with a conservative philosophy that will follow the constitution and the tradition of the law abiding republicans.
Posted by: @chainI went to my board of elections office yesterday and changed my party affiliation from Republican (which I’ve been since 1993) to Independent.....I can no longer be associated with the Republican Party.
I'm not so thrilled w/the Democratic Party. Possibly because I didn't pay attention to the campaign or even bother to know who was running until the nomination, I missed how "diversity" & "trans" became its mission. I thought the Democrats WERE inclusive & going back to Clinton, a serious effort was made to make Cabinet officials and other appointees reflect the demographics of the US. Everyone - gender, race, sexual orientation - is equal. I was unaware that the party had dropped that equality message which is actually law so I was surprised at the need to promote it now as a new concept.
My personal boiling point was sitting in a state bar association meeting a few months ago regarding the enforced use of pronouns in bar reports & records due to the oppression of the trans community by cis-genders. And lest we further offend someone, we must now use LatinX so there's no senor or senora just senorX.
Maybe I'm just too old to function in this post-Trumpian, post-pandemic world although I never thought 65 was ancient. I don't care what race, gender, or sexual orientation anyone is. I think my greatest surprise is the contempt for anything that is actual science. Covid is a virus; it spreads like a virus & is contained like a virus. There are 2 biological genders. How can a Facebook post that says otherwise be taken seriously?
The Democratic party isn't to blame for all of this, but I fail to see the great triumph that trans persons are included in healthcare legislation. Healthcare legislation always refers to "persons" & that includes trans. I'm considering changing my affiliation to Independent as well but I have a while to make that decision.
Trump is doing this because many Democrats and many of the news outlets took the position Trump was legitimate and didn't really win. That the Russians helped Trump cheat and Hillary Clinton was the real winner.
The Republican Party didn't want Trump and found him to be unhinged, inflammatory and outrageous. But Trump surprised all the Republicans running and beat them all to become the Republican nominee. Then surprising everyone including Donald Trump himself, Trump defeated Hillary.
The Republicans in Congress suddenly decided to embrace him as crazy and arrogant and outrageous as he was because he won the White House and the Republicans on Trump's coattails took the House and Senate after being told by all the news outlets and the Democratic talking heads after Obama's first victory that the Republican Party wouldn't be in power again, House, Senate or White House for another 40 years. But in just 8 years crazy Donald Trump had won it all.
I think Trump is not a real Republican or a real conservative but is what ever Trump thinks is a winner and what makes Trump look good.
I also agree having just my party, the Democratic party having all the power for years ahead is bad for America and bad for Democracy. Trumpism has attracted white supremacists and the modern Democrats have attracted SOCIALISTS and others who want a huge federal government with top down decisions as to how everyone has to live. That didn't work in the Soviet Union, Cuba or Venezuela.
A mix of left of center Dems and right of center Republicans is what is right for America.
Posted by: @robertdeeI think Trump is not a real Republican or a real conservative but is what ever Trump thinks is a winner and what makes Trump look good.
Agreed. Trump is for Trump. He's changed party affiliations over the years. Wish he'd just start Trumpism & let the GOP be what is used to be instead of autocrats who say "off w/their head" about anyone not bowing to Trump.
If Liz Cheney is to be believed, I have my answer as to why Republicans seemed petrified to vote against impeachment - twice. In an interview on CNN, she said GOP members told her they were afraid to vote against Trump for fear for their security, even their lives. She didn't go into detail, but it's something I've raised all along - the members couldn't all be blindly loyal to Trump nor want him to hold office again yet they voted in lockstep.
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