Cheney on challenger’s Trump endorsement: ‘Bring it’

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) responded to former President Trump’s endorsement of her House challenger on Thursday, writing on Twitter: “Bring it.”

Trump on Thursday officially endorsed Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman as she wages a bid to unseat Cheney from her post in Congress.

Trump, in his endorsement, called Cheney the Democrats’ “number one provider of sound bites.”

Cheney responded to the endorsement in a tweet minutes after it was released, tweeting: “Here’s a sound bite for you: Bring it.”

Here’s a sound bite for you: Bring it. pic.twitter.com/VmET1JUs12

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 9, 2021

Trump’s backing of Hageman does not come as a surprise, as previous reports indicated that the former president was planning to throw his support behind the attorney.

It does, however, set the scene for what is expected to be a heated Republican primary battle with candidates jockeying to oust Cheney after she voted to impeach Trump in January following the Jan. 6 mob attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Cheney, in a statement following Trump’s endorsement, said it is “tragic” that some candidates in the race have sacrificed their responsibilities to the people of Wyoming “out of fear and in favor of” their loyalty to Trump, citing his rejection of the 2020 election results and his involvement in the Jan. 6 riots.

“I look forward to an extended public debate about the importance of the rule of law and the solemn duty of elected officials to uphold their oath to the Constitution,” Cheney said.

Cheney has repeatedly slammed Trump over his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and at one point vowed to “do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.”

The three-term congresswoman was ousted from House GOP leadership in May.

Politico reported on Wednesday that Trump’s allies and team are now pushing the rest of the Republican field to unite around Hageman to avoid a crowded primary race that could potentially split the anti-Cheney vote and hand the incumbent a win.

No candidate immediately dropped out following the reports of a forthcoming endorsement on Wednesday, but one contender, Anthony Bouchard, said he will remain in the race and criticized Hageman’s ties to Cheney’s previous campaigns.

Liz Cheney succeeded getting Trump to pick Cheney’s BFF for her replacement. Hageman was in Cheney’s Campaign both initial and re-elections. (Liz Cheney’s Campaign Photos ‘scrubbed’ from the Internet by Hageman) pic.twitter.com/MV8bH6VH81

— Anthony Bouchard for Congress Against Cheney (@AnthonyBouchard) September 8, 2021

Trump’s backing of Cheney’s challenger is the latest in a string of endorsement he has issued in support of candidates running against Republicans who voted for his impeachment in January.

He recently endorsed challengers to Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.).