Cheney looks to cling on in Wyoming despite polls
by Caroline Vakil - 08/14/22 6:00 AM ET
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is heading into her Tuesday primary against a Trump-backed opponent seemingly undaunted, even as the odds are increasingly tipped in her rival’s favor.
The Wyoming congresswoman has emerged as the most prominent GOP critic of former President Trump, having voted to impeach him and taken part in the House committee investigating his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump and his allies have made it a priority to oust Cheney over the past year, throwing their support behind attorney Harriet Hageman (R). And while recent polls have shown Hageman leading by a wide margin, Cheney has made it clear she’s not going down without a fight, even as some Republicans acknowledge her views and political approach have placed her in a difficult position.
“I do think it’s debatable whether she should have gone out and blown herself up this way, because it’s obviously going to cost her her seat and her platform, but she chose a different path. And I think everybody’s got to make their own decisions in life,” said Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist and ex-special assistant to former President George W. Bush who said he “reveres” the Cheneys.
Cheney was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Capitol riot, and since Jan. 6 she has emerged as the face of a small group of Republicans on Capitol Hill who continue to push back against their party. Just months after the Capitol attack took place, she said she regretted her decision to vote for the former president in 2020 and vowed to keep him from making another return to the White House.
“I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office,” Cheney told reporters in May 2021, following a vote by House Republicans to remove her from her leadership post.
“We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language. We have 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 that will be faithful to the Constitution,” she said.
But out of those 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, only two are seeking reelection after having advanced in their primaries, while seven others have opted not to run again or have lost their bids.
Some Republicans say that while they respect Cheney’s determination to adhere to her conscience, they question her approach.
“I’m a big believer in that people should stick to their guns and do what they feel is right for the country,” one strategist said. “So on the one hand, I really appreciate, you know, whether I agree or disagree with her approach on it, I appreciate and respect people that are willing to do that, because, frankly, they’re far and few between in Washington.”
“That being said, I also think there’s a way to do that without poking your finger in the eye of a president or a former president or the party as a whole,” the strategist added.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3598615-cheney-looks-to-cling-on-in-wyoming-despite-polls/
