Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has made headlines for slamming former President Donald Trump… and she’s alienated many of his Republican supporters.
Cheney was expelled from Wyoming Republican Party over the weekend, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.
The state party central committee met Saturday and voted 31-29 to stop recognizing her as a Republican, according to the Star-Tribune. However, only one-third of local officials voted to expel Cheney before the meeting.
The vote was narrow and the issue divided the party leadership from the rank-and-file members.
Cheney’s spokesperson Jeremy Adler released a statement to CNN on Monday.
Adler said, “It’s laughable to suggest Liz is anything but a committed conservative Republican.”
He added, “She is bound by her oath to the Constitution. Sadly, a portion of the Wyoming GOP leadership has abandoned that fundamental principle, and instead allowed themselves to be held hostage to the lies of a dangerous and irrational man.”
It remains unclear why the party voted to expel Cheney on Saturday. CNN asked for a comment on Tuesday but received no response.
Previously the party has formally rebuked her for voting to impeach Trump.
In February, the party voted to censure her. The censure record chastised her for voting before any “formal hearing or due process,” The Associated Press reported.
After the censure, Cheney stated to CNN, “My vote to impeach was compelled by the oath I swore to the Constitution. Wyoming citizens know that this oath does not bend or yield to politics or partisanship.”
She added, “I will always fight for Wyoming values and stand up for our Western way of life. We have great challenges ahead of us as we move forward and combat the disastrous policies of the Biden Administration.
Cheney still holds all her political power, despite both the censure and the expulsion. These routine parliamentary shanks are common. Last month, the Arizona Democratic Party passed a resolution threatening to censure Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
However, the party vowed in February to withhold funds from Cheney, and that decision may hurt Cheney’s chances of re-election.
Plus, Cheney has been declining in power already. Cheney once served as chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-highest position in House Republican leadership. She was voted out of leadership in May.
Cheney interviewed with The Guardian in May and spoke about doing “whatever it takes” to stop Trump. She refused to rule out a possible run for president.
The Horn editorial team