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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defended Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney on Monday after sharply criticizing her decision to vote for the impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
Cheney has faced calls to step down as chair of the GOP House conference since she and nine other Republicans crossed party lines to impeach Trump. McConnell, R-Ky., Is the most prominent GOP leader to date to rally to Cheney’s defense.
“Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on it,” McConnell said in a statement. “She is an important leader in our party and in our nation. I am grateful for her service and look forward to continuing to work with her on the critical issues facing our nation.”
McConnell did not rule out voting to convict Trump on impeachment.
WYOMING GOP RIPS REP. LIZ CHENEY TO VOTE TO IMPECT TRUMP
Cheney publicly condemned Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan.6 as congressional lawmakers gathered to confirm President Biden’s electoral victory. In a dazzling statement explaining his reasons for voting to impeach Trump, Cheney said the former president “gathered the crowd and ignited the flame of this attack” by spreading unfounded theories that the election was stolen.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Cited Cheney’s remarks in the House when presenting the Democrats’ final argument for impeachment.
The Wyoming Republican’s position drew rebuke from hardline conservatives and his own state party, who said Cheney’s vote sparked “anger and frustration” within the GOP. Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, a leading Trump ally, has called for Cheney to be ousted in a primary in her next election cycle.
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Cheney remained firm in her decision.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Cheney told reporters in January. “It’s a vote of conscience.”
The House impeached Trump on a single charge of inciting insurgency. The Senate is due to call an impeachment trial next week, the first of its kind for a former president.
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