Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed her post as Republican Conference chair Wednesday after months of defiant criticism over former President Donald Trump’s grip on the party.
The closed-door vote was over in a matter of minutes by voice vote and no roll call, the sources said. It was not immediately clear how each of Cheney’s fellow Republicans voted.
“We cannot both embrace the big lie and embrace the constitution,” Cheney told reporters moments after the vote. “I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the oval office.
The dramatic move came hours after the Wyoming lawmaker denounced fellow Republicans in House floor speech for bowing to Trump’s claims about the 2020 presidential election.
Cheney delivered a fiery warning about the danger Trump poses after he urged followers to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar,” said Cheney. “I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy.”
“We face a threat America has never seen before,” Cheney added. “A former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him.”
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