Allies of former President Donald Trump celebrated Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary loss in Wyoming on Tuesday, a defeat for arguably his most vocal critic in the Republican Party. Others, however, applauded Cheney for taking what they described as a principled stand.
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Cheney, one of just two Republicans on the House select committee investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, was defeated by the Trump-backed Harriet Hageman in the GOP race for Wyoming’s at-large congressional seat, according to multiple projections.
Cheney infuriated many of her House GOP colleagues and Republican activists by saying Trump poses a “domestic threat” to the United States for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In a concession speech on Tuesday, Cheney told supporters her work is “far from over” and that American democracy “is not a game.”
Winning her primary, Cheney said, “would have required that I go along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election.”
Trump’s allies were quick to celebrate Cheney’s defeat.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who replaced Cheney in the No. 3 leadership job in the House GOP last year, said in a statement, “Congratulations to Harriet Hageman on her massive Republican primary victory in Wyoming over Nancy Pelosi’s puppet Liz Cheney. I was proud to join President Trump and Leader Kevin McCarthy in endorsing Harriet.”
“Harriet is a true America First patriot who will restore the people of Wyoming’s voice, which Liz Cheney had long forgotten,” Stefanik said. “I cannot wait for Harriet to join Republicans in Congress so that we can stay laser-focused on our work to save America.”
Without naming Cheney, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement that Gov. Mark Gordon and Hageman “will make Wyoming proud.”
“The Cowboy State is ready to send principled conservative leadership to Washington D.C. — someone who will stand up to the radical left and work on the issues they care about: bringing down costs, ending the war on American energy, rejecting the reckless Biden agenda, and taking the gavel back from Nancy Pelosi in November,” McDaniel said.
Some ex-Trump administration officials praised Cheney, including former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin.
Thank you for showing us what courage & patriotism is, @Liz_Cheney. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you. 🇺🇸
— Stephanie Grisham (@OMGrisham) August 17, 2022
This is the beginning, not the end for @Liz_Cheney.
I stand with Liz. 🇺🇸
— Alyssa Farah Griffin 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 (@Alyssafarah) August 17, 2022
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But a parade of congressional Republicans and political commentators celebrated her loss, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).
Few people in Washington have been as wrong and damaging on foreign policy as Liz Cheney. Congratulations to @HagemanforWY on her victory tonight. I look forward to working with an advocate for liberty as the next Congresswoman from Wyoming. Bye Liz.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 17, 2022
A clear message is being sent about what the Republican Party needs to be.
It’s not anything like liar Liz Cheney, who is nothing like Abraham Lincoln.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 17, 2022
Adios! Now Liz Cheney can totally ignore the people of Wyoming and spend every waking moment trying to destroy President Trump… Oh, forgot, she already does.
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) August 17, 2022
It appears that Liz Cheney, one of the GOP’s chief warmongers, is about to lose. This is good news for every American regardless of party.
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) August 17, 2022
