U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has praised U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney for her courage in voting to impeach former President Donald Trump.
“Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them,” McConnell told CNN on Monday. “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 crucial issues facing our nation.”
McConnell is one of many members of Congress who have backed Cheney following her impeachment vote, which has received a mix of praise and criticism from legislators and the public alike.
According to CNN, the McConnel hasn’t spoken to the former president since Dec. 15.
Cheney and nine other House Republicans voted to impeach Trump in mid-January following an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Many congressional legislators felt Trump’s comments at a rally earlier in the day helped incite the riot.
“All of us have an obligation to the Constitution and obligation to do what what we believe is right, what our oath compels us to do that that is above politics and above partisanship,” Cheney previously said.
Last week, fellow U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, visited the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne to voice numerous criticisms about Cheney to a crowd of hundreds.
“The establishment power brokers like Liz Cheney are climbing in a deeply corrupt game,” Gaetz said during the rally. “We do not have to be condemned to some grim fate.”
State Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, has announced he will run against Cheney for her House seat, largely because of her vote to impeach Trump.
After the articles of impeachment against Trump were approved by the House, they were sent to the Senate, where members must decide whether to hold a trial on the allegations.
All but five Senate Republicans (including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney) voted against an impeachment trial, which many political pundits believe is a sign that the former president will likely be acquitted, meaning he can run again for office, should he choose so.
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis voted against the trial.
