Republicans vote to keep Liz Cheney in House leadership after heated debate over her impeachment vote against Trump



Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming survived a campaign by allies of former President Donald Trump to expel her from GOP leadership after she voted with Democrats to impeach him after the riots at the Capitol on January 6th.

House Republicans voted in a secret ballot to keep Cheney in her position as Republican Conference chair on Wednesday evening. 145 members voted to keep her in leadership while only 61 voted to kick her out.

Cheney is the third highest ranking Republican in the House, but she has faced heated opposition from some House Republicans after she voted with nine other Republicans to impeach Trump in January. Democrats accused the former president of inciting his followers to attack the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from confirming the official election results.

Cheney is said to have refused to apologize for her impeachment vote during the debate over her future.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday that he defended Cheney and her position in the leadership.

"People can have differences of opinion that we can have a discussions about," said McCarthy. "Liz has the right to vote her conscience. At the end of the day, we'll get united."

Among those most opposed to Cheney is Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida who flew to her home state in order to speak at a rally calling for her ouster. A few hundred showed up to hear Gaetz call Cheney a "beltway bureaucrat turned fake cow girl."

Despite defeating the pro-Trump uprising, Cheney may face an uphill battle in Wyoming if she seeks re-election. Politico reported that the atmosphere among Wyoming voters was decidedly anti-Cheney and many felt that her impeachment vote was a betrayal of her constituents.

Here's more about the campaign to dethrone Liz Cheney:

Liz Cheney survives push to strip her of GOP leadership positionwww.youtube.com

'This is a crusade for Trump now': Reporter stunned by the anger she saw against Liz Cheney in Wyoming



A reporter covering the in-fighting between the pro-Trump wing of the Republican Party and those in support of Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) was stunned to find the lack of support for Cheney and instead a lot of anger among Wyoming residents.

Politico reporter Tara Palmeri went to Wyoming to see the response to an anti-Cheney rally on Thursday in Cheyenne by Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a supporter of former President Donald Trump.

"I think that they see themselves now on a crusade for Donald Trump," Palmeri said in an interview Friday on MSNBC.

"Donald Trump is way more popular than she is from the people I spoke to, and I actually went out of my way to try to find someone who would defend her, and I couldn't," she added.

Palmeri said that she talked to many people at the rally with Gaetz, but also went out and spoke to others in the community. She found the same message over and over.

"What I heard overwhelmingly from the people that were against her, she did not vote for Wyoming when she voted to impeach, and therefore she has to go," Palmeri said.

Cheney, the No. 3-ranked Republican in the House, was among the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump for a second time after his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to stop Congress from confirming the official election results. She has since been the target of criticism from supporters and allies of Trump.

"She didn't have that much name recognition, considering she's a Cheney, like, a lot of people thought she was a Senator or a mayor, and they weren't willing to go out in a primary and vote for her, and the problem is that the people who said they were going to go out and vote for her, were very vehemently against her, and these were the Trump voters' base," said Palmeri.

"I mean, I said her name in a hardware store, and someone shouted a threat," Palmeri added. On her social media account, she said that the threat uttered had been, "hang her."

Palmeri also said that some people refused to talk to her while she wore a mask, and she was very upset that she might have caught the coronavirus because she had to take her mask off with Wyoming residents.

"I might have COVID, for all I know. I dunno. It's crazy," she said.

Palmeri said Cheney needs to get out in her district because "this is a crusade for Trump now."

She went on to say that the residents were repeating talking points from the QAnon conspiracy theory as if they were "gospel," and that this was a bad sign for Cheney's chances in the primary election in 2022.

"If the primary were in 2021, she'd be in a lot of trouble," she concluded.

Here's the emotional interview with Palmeri:

Politico Reporter Shares Her Experience Covering An Anti-Liz Cheney Rally | Deadline | MSNBCwww.youtube.com

​McConnell backs Liz Cheney as pro-Trump forces continue campaign to expel her from GOP leadership​



Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed Sen. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as supporters of former President Donald Trump continued their campaign to expel her from GOP leadership for voting in favor of his second impeachment.

"Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them," McConnell said in a statement Monday to CNN.

"She is an important leader in our party and in our nation," he added. "I am grateful for her service and look forward to continuing to work with her on the crucial issues facing our nation."

Cheney was among the 10 Republicans who voted for the impeachment of former President Trump at the end of his term for incitement of insurrection. Democrats accused Trump of inciting the rioting at the U.S. Capitol that erupted when his supporters attempted to violently stop members of Congress from confirming the official results of the 2020 election.

Fervent allies of Trump have since excoriated Cheney and demanded her ouster from GOP leadership. Cheney is the third-highest ranking Republican.

The Republican Party of Wyoming voted unanimously to censure Cheney for her vote, and she has already drawn a primary challenge from a state lawmaker who accused her of out of touch with the will of the state's residents.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) held a small rally in Cheney's home state on Thursday to lambast her and encourage her constituents to vote against her in the next election. Gaetz referred to Cheney as a "beltway bureaucrat turned fake cow girl" to the hundreds of supporters who showed up.

Some Republicans, like Sen. Chip Roy of Texas and former President George W. Bush, have defended Cheney from her critics.

Cheney will face her primary challenger in the election next year.

Here's more about the pro-Trump campaign against Cheney:

Rep. Liz Cheney facing backlash over vote to impeach former President Trumpwww.youtube.com

Matt Gaetz torches fellow GOP Rep. Liz Cheney at Wyoming rally after she voted to impeach Trump



Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) made a trek to Wyoming on Thursday to speak at a rally calling for the ouster of fellow GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, lambasting her to the crowd after she joined House Democrats and nine other Republicans in voting to impeach President Donald Trump.

What are the details?

Cheney, a member of House GOP leadership, broke with her own party in voting to impeach Trump for a second time for a single charge of inciting an insurrection due to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

Several Republicans—including Gaetz—demanded Cheney's removal from leadership, and he doubled down on his position by speaking in her home state to garner support for having her voted out of office by her constituents.

"Defeat Liz Cheney in this upcoming election, and Wyoming will bring Washington to its knees," Gaetz told the crowd, according to Politico, who reported that he hit Cheney with "a barrage of insults."

"How can you call yourself a representative when you don't represent the will of the people?" the Florida congressman continued. "That's what all the neocons ask about the Arab dictators. I figure maybe we ought to ask the same question of a beltway bureaucrat turned fake cow girl that supported an impeachment that is deeply unpopular in the state of Wyoming."

Fox News reported that Gaetz also said, ""Liz Cheney taunts me for wearing makeup in my television appearances. Now, makeup only hides the slightest imperfections of the skin. It does very little to conceal the soulless corruption of Washington, D.C. It's really easy for me to get a little makeup off my shirt. Far more difficult for Liz Cheney to get the blood off her hands for sending America's best to foreign lands to die."

Rep. Matt Gaetz SLAMS Rep. Liz Cheney while campaigning for her opponent www.youtube.com

Gaetz has called for Cheney's removal from leadership since long before she cast a vote for impeaching Trump.

Following last summer's GOP caucus meeting—where other members expressed disgust with Cheney for criticizing Trump on other matters—Gaetz tweeted, ""Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair. Liz Cheney should step down or be removed."

Anything else?

Gaetz has been a loyal supporter of Trump, but took heat from some allies of the former president when he voted with House Democrats last year to pass the War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting presidents' authority to wage war.

Cheney herself has also publicly endorsed the ouster of a fellow House GOP colleague. The chairwoman donated $2,500 to a primary challenger to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) last March, after Massie forced the House to return to Washington and vote on the record on the first coronavirus stimulus package.

House Republicans circulate petition to remove pro-impeachment Rep. Liz Cheney from GOP leadership



A faction of conservative House Republicans are taking action to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from GOP leadership after she became the highest-profile Republican member of Congress to declare her support for impeaching President Donald Trump.

Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman obtained a copy of a petition that calls for a special conference to meet to discuss Cheney's leadership role as No. 3 House GOP leader and demand her resignation as chairman of the GOP Conference.

"We, the undersigned, do hereby petition for a special meeting of the Republican Conference pursuant to Rule 6(d) to discuss a resolution on your leadership," the petition states.

🚨NEW .. the right moves on ⁦@RepLizCheney⁩ Just got my hands on this petition which is calling for a special conf… https://t.co/6DpvyYygdH
— Jake Sherman (@Jake Sherman)1610554991.0

On Tuesday, Cheney issued a statement blaming President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters in what she referred to as an "insurrection" against the United States government.

"On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes. This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our Republic," Cheney said.

"Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough," she continued. "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. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution."

"I will vote to impeach the President," Cheney concluded.

A handful of House Republicans have joined Cheney and announced their support for impeaching Trump. Republican leadership in the House is reportedly taking a mostly hands-off approach to the issue, with members being told to vote their consciences.

The petition calling for Cheney's ouster says her statement has been used by Democrats as "justification" for a "truncated impeachment process that denies the president due process." Additionally, the petition asserts that Cheney's position "does not reflect that of the majority of the Republican Conference and has brought the Conference into disrepute and produced discord."

It is unclear at this time how many House Republicans will sign the petition, but some members have already called for Cheney's resignation.

I don't think she should be the chair of the Republican Conference anymore," Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told Fox News in an interview Tuesday. Biggs is the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

"The reality is, she's not representing the conference, she's not representing the Republican ideals. And I think that that's a problem...I'm not alone in that sentiment," he said.

No matter what happens this next week, President Trump's America First agenda and movement will prosper.The radic… https://t.co/43HzdH1gs6
— Rep Andy Biggs (@Rep Andy Biggs)1610513349.0

He suggested that under different leadership, House Republicans might present a more united front against impeaching Trump.

"In this instance, she is the conference chair. I think they should be actually whipping against an impeachment vote but they're not gonna do that, and she's out there advocating others to join her in impeachment. That is wrong. And I think she should resign."

Montana GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale also called for Cheney to resign in a statement made Tuesday.

"When Representative Cheney came out for impeachment today, she failed to consult with the Conference, failed to abide by the spirit of the rules of the Republican Conference, and ignored the preferences of Republican voters," he said. "She is weakening our conference at a key moment for personal political gain and is unfit to lead. She must step down as Conference Chair."

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also called for Cheney to be removed, Fox News reported.

There are some Republicans standing by Cheney, though they disagree with her on impeachment. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told Bloomberg News Wednesday that he "respects" her decision and that her statement calling for Trump's impeachment was "honorable" and "brave," though he does not support impeaching the president.

"I have every confidence in Liz Cheney's ability to do any job," he said. "And you can't punish somebody when they say it is a vote of conscience and they act on their own conscience."