Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney signaled that she would withdraw from the GOP if former President Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential elections.
The lawmaker said, "I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn't anywhere close to the Oval Office." Cheney made her remarks on Saturday, adding that she would be willing to support Democratic lawmakers, the first time that the official has said so explicitly.
Liz Cheney's Possible Presidential Bid
The Wyoming official's statements were her answers to a question about her state's gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who is a known supporter of the former president's false claims that the 2020 elections were fraudulent. Cheney has served as the representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district since 2017 before she was defeated soundly in her August primary against Trump-supported challenger Harriet Hageman.
The lawmaker is also the vice chair of the House Select Committee responsible for investigating the events of the Capitol Hill riot and is one of only two Republicans on the panel. Cheney is one of only 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching Trump, as per CBS News.
Cheney's recent positions were both those that appeared to work against her during her campaign for re-election in Wyoming. Out of the 10 GOP members who voted to impeach the former president, only two won their primary challenges, while three others were defeated and four chose to either retire or not seek re-election.
The majority of candidates that Trump endorsed in the 2022 midterms won their primaries and also said that they support the Republican businessman's false claims regarding the 2020 elections. According to Yahoo News, since losing her primary, Cheney's position regarding a potential 2024 presidential bid has been spreading around. However, she said on Saturday that she was not interested in discussing any plans regarding the matter.
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Trump's False Claims of Election Fraud
Cheney questioned what would be done to make sure that kids in America know what it means to have peaceful transfers of power. She added that children should not contribute to the unraveling of the republic. These are what the Wyoming lawmaker said she was focusing on.
Despite losing her primary, Cheney was still able to garner roughly 30% of the votes against her Trump-backed opponent. This means that if all of those supporters heed her call, it will be all but impossible for the GOP to win the House of Representatives.
If a relatively same number of people reject the former president, his chances of getting the 2024 Republican White House nomination among other candidates in a crowded field will be greatly diminished. This would be a crucial factor for those who support keeping America a democratic republic.
Cheney, working on the House Select Committee, said that she was surprised about the sophistication of the plan to overturn the 2020 elections. The former Wyoming representative also called out Trump's refusal on Jan. 6, 2021, to make a public statement urging a mob of his supporters to end the siege on the Capitol Hill building until more than three hours into the chaos, CNN reported.
