House

Cheney slams Trump on ‘big lie’ over election

by Joseph Choi - 05/03/21 10:55 AM ET

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Monday shot back at former President Trump over his claims that the 2020 election was stolen, accusing those who spread the claim of “poisoning our democratic system.”

“The 2020 presidential election was not stolen,” Cheney tweeted. “Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.”

The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 3, 2021

Cheney’s tweet came in response to a statement earlier Monday morning from Trump, who called President Biden’s victory in the November 2020 election “the big lie.”

“The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!” Trump said in the statement.

The tweet from Cheney was noteworthy nonetheless given the scrutiny she is under within the House Republican Conference, which she chairs, over her criticisms of Trump.

Cheney is one of 10 House Republicans to have voted to impeach Trump for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol and interfere with the counting of the Electoral College results on Jan. 6.

Trump has vowed to endorse any Republican primary candidate who runs against Cheney in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

Shortly after her vote to impeach Trump, the Wyoming GOP voted to censure her and several ardent Trump allies in Congress called for her to be removed from power as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.

Cheney’s barbs against Trump have put her at odds with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other Trump loyalists in the House.

Just last week at a House policy retreat, Cheney said “elected leaders” like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and McCarthy were the leaders of the GOP in response to a question about who was leading the party.

McCarthy later responded that it would be better for Republicans to focus on other issues.

Some Republican lawmakers made an effort to remove Cheney from leadership after her impeachment vote, and such efforts are expected to be renewed given her more recent criticisms of Trump.

A GOP lawmaker told The Hill in a story published over the weekend that the Republican Party’s frustration with Cheney was reaching “a boiling point.”

“This isn’t about Liz Cheney wanting to impeach Donald Trump; this isn’t about Donald Trump at all. It’s about Liz Cheney being completely out of synch with the majority of our conference,” the lawmaker said.

However, Cheney’s allies like Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) have lauded her conviction.

“If a prerequisite for leading our conference is continuing to lie to our voters, then Liz is not the best fit,” Gonzalez told The Hill. “Liz isn’t going to lie to people. Liz is going to say what she believes. She’s going to stand on principle.”

Cheney’s tweet echoes recent remarks made by a fellow prominent Republican who has spoken out against Trump: Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, McCain called the GOP-backed election audit in Arizona’s Maricopa County “ludicrous.”

“The election is over. Biden won,” McCain said to host Jake Tapper. “I know many of them don’t like the outcome but you know, elections have consequences. And so … this does not surprise me, you know, that things are just aloof and crazy out there right now with regards to the election.”

McCain endorsed Biden in the 2020 election, and his win in Arizona was referred to by some as “McCain’s revenge,” referencing the acrimonious relationship John McCain had with Trump.