U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, a fierce Republican critic of Donald Trump who has played a prominent role in the congressional probe of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, lost to a Trump-backed primary challenger in Wyoming on Tuesday (August 16).
With 99% of expected ballots counted in Wyoming, Hageman led the Republican field with 66.3% of the vote, followed by Cheney with 28.9%, according to Edison Research, an election monitoring firm.
Hageman, a natural resources lawyer who has embraced Trump’s election lies, criticized Cheney in her victory speech.
“Wyoming has drawn a line in the sand that if we put you in power, you will be accountable to us. You will answer to us, and you will do what is in our best interests. And if you don’t, we will fire you,” She said to a round of applause from her supporters.
Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, has held the seat since 2017 but attracted Trump’s ire after voting for his impeachment last year and playing a leading role on the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Wyoming voters present during Hageman’s speech reacted to the results of the primary elections.
“She (Cheney) was supposed to represent us, and she knows we all support Trump, and she chose not to. So, bye-bye, “said an unidentified Hageman supporter.
The ousting of Cheney is nevertheless the latest sign of Trump’s enduring sway over the Republican Party.
Trump, who has hinted that he will run for president in 2024, made ending Cheney’s congressional career a priority among the 10 House Republicans targeted for supporting his impeachment in 2021.
(Reuters)