Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney, a divisive figure among Republicans for her vote to impeach former President Trump for his purported role inciting the pre-planned January 6th riot, has recently survived a challenge threatening her House leadership position.
“House Republicans voted by a large margin Wednesday to allow Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney to stay on as the GOP conference chairwoman following an hours-long meeting where members aired their grievances over her vote to impeach former President Trump last month,” CBS reported. “Just 61 Republicans voted to remove Cheney from her post, while 145 voted for her to stay in a vote by secret ballot.”
“We’re not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership,” Cheney said after the vote. “It was very resounding acknowledgment that we need to go forward together and then we need to go forward in a way that helps us beat back the really dangerous and negative Democrat policies.”
The coast is far from clear for Cheney, the third-ranking representative in the House, however.
The Wyoming Republican Party voted to formally censure Rep. Liz Cheney for her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. She had a defense of her impeachment vote following the censure.
“My vote to impeach was compelled by the oath I swore to the Constitution. Wyoming citizens know that this oath does not bend or yield to politics or partisanship,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
“I will always fight for Wyoming values and stand up for our Western way of life. We have great challenges ahead of us as we move forward and combat the disastrous policies of the Biden Administration. I look forward to continuing to work with officials and citizens across Wyoming to be the most effective voice and advocate in defense of our families, industries and communities.”
The censure by the Wyoming Republican Party is not simply symbolic; it reflects the ire that voters feel towards those in the GOP who voted to impeach Trump.
“I believe that her impeachment vote revealed who she has allegiance to, and I don’t think the voters will forget it any time soon,” said Anthony Bouchard, a Wyoming state senator who may challenge her re-election bid.
The Congresswoman has become the latest Republican to be censured by her own state. The ten Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment face similar headwinds in their own states.
Trump for his own part, is reportedly “fuming” at McCarthy in Mar-a-Lago for allowing Cheney to survive a leadership threat, according to a dubiously phrased CNN report. It is just as likely that he is simply golfing and enjoying life.
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