U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney’s vote to impeach former President Donald Trump is a defining moment in her political career and could potentially impact her in the next election, a new New York Times Magazine profile has concluded.
In an article published online Thursday titled “Liz Cheney vs. MAGA,” the magazine details Cheney’s ascent into political power in Wyoming, her climb to high ranks among House Republicans and how her refusal to side with Trump when he claimed he won the presidential election last fall has been a turning point among her colleagues and constituents.
“In past Republican administrations, it was OK to speak up and disagree on things,” former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Virginia, said in the article. “That was Liz’s experience. These new ideologues, that’s not what they did. Trump would show up at conferences and point to different members and tell them how great they were on TV, and then they’d hang out at the White House.”
The article mentioned the vote to remove Cheney from her position as House Conference Chairwoman back in February, not long after she announced her intent to vote for impeachment.
“There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” she said at the time. ““We cannot become the party of QAnon. We cannot become the party of Holocaust denial. We cannot become the party of white supremacy. We all watched in horror what happened on Jan. 6.”
Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump, alleging he helped incite the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January.
This drew ire from not only her Republican colleagues in Washington, D.C., but Republicans in Wyoming, many of whom voted to censure her for her actions.
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, even traveled to Wyoming in late January to criticize his colleague, holding a rally at the state Capitol.
Cheney has also said she wouldn’t endorse Trump if he ran for president again in 2024.
“Whoever does become the prime challenger to Cheney is going to have a hard, expensive road ahead,” Carbon County Republican Party chairman Joey Correnti IV said in the article. “So hopefully the people of Wyoming and Trump can come to an agreement.”
