In an extraordinary development, House Republicans on Wednesday voted to purge GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post, punishing the conservative Wyoming Republican for daring to refute former president Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
The decision was made by voice vote, meaning there will be no tally of the lawmakers who voted to dump Cheney, who vowed to do everything she can to keep former President Trump from returning to power.
In remarks to reporters immediately following the vote, Cheney doubled down on her vow to continue countering Trump’s message, saying, “we must go forward based on truth.”
“We cannot both embrace the Big Lie and embrace the Constitution,” she said, adding, “the nation needs a strong Republican Party,” and a “party based on fundamental principles of conservatism.”
In response to a reporter’s question on whether she was “concerned” that Trump will launch another presidential bid in 2024, Cheney said, “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.”
“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 who will be faithful to the Constitution,” she added.
When asked Wednesday if she felt “betrayed” by her removal as No. 3 House Republican, she said “I do not,” adding she believed it was “an indication of where the Republican Party is.”
“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’s comments came shortly after Trump called her a “bitter, horrible human being” for calling out his lies.
Watch:
Rep. Liz Cheney: "I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office." https://t.co/bddD72hb0b pic.twitter.com/KBTGfee9O4
— The Hill (@thehill) May 12, 2021
