An effort to oust House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney from her leadership position failed Wednesday after a majority of Republicans voted to keep her as the third-ranking House Republican.
The vote to potentially remove Cheney was done by secret ballot.
In the end, 61 Republicans in the House voted to remove Cheney and 145 GOP members voted to keep her.
One Republican voted present.
JUST IN: Liz Cheney has managed to cling on to her leadership job, sources tell me. vote was 145-61
House just voted in a secret ballot to keep her. Comes after tense, four hour meeting where dozens of members spoke their mind.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) February 4, 2021
Backlash Against Liz Cheney Came After Impeaching Trump
The vote followed a defense of Cheney from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The vote was held over Cheney’s vote to join Democrats in impeaching President Donald Trump for a second time. Nine other Republicans also voted to impeach.
Cheney told the House Republican Conference, “I won’t apologize for the vote.”
Republican Congressmen Matt Rosendale and Andy Biggs passed around a petition to remove Cheney from her post as House GOP chair.
After the vote, Rosendale said, “The Conference has spoken, and it’s time for Republicans to unify to take back the majority. I will do my part to achieve that goal.”
Liz Cheney is facing calls to resign from her House GOP leadership post after she said she will vote to impeach Trump https://t.co/YyYFUn7JfU
— Bloomberg (@business) January 13, 2021
Cheney Endorsed Primary Opponent Of Staunch Conservative Rep. Thomas Massie
Pro-Trump Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, who went to Wyoming to rally against her, claimed Cheney had worked against former President Trump’s ‘America First’ because Cheney was part of the “forever war machine.”
Gaetz, along with Biggs and Congressman Thomas Massie, opposed Cheney’s efforts to shove into the National Defense Authorization Act an amendment that would precent Trump from bringing the troops home from Afghanistan.
Cheney had also supported Massie’s GOP primary opponent, which angered many House conservatives.
Since Cheney announced that she would vote to impeach Trump, a recent poll found that her political support has collapsed by more than double digits back home.
By keeping Liz Cheney in leadership, the GOP establishment has declared war on the GOP grassroots.
It’s time to do some house cleaning — just like we did in 2010.
— Sen. Eric Brakey 🌲🦔 (@SenatorBrakey) February 4, 2021
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Cheney In Trouble In Wyoming
73 percent of Wyoming Republicans viewed her unfavorably according to the poll, while 62 percent of all voters overall now view her negatively.
In the same poll, only 10 percent of GOP voters and 13 percent of all voters said they would vote to reelect her.
Trump pollster John McLaughlin wrote, “Liz Cheney’s decision to vote to impeach President Trump makes her extremely vulnerable.”
“It is evident her ratings are in bad shape among general election voters and have collapsed among Republicans and Trump voters,” he added.
Since her vote to impeach, 10 County Republican Parties in Wyoming have voted to censure her.