House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican Party’s third-placed Democrat, had an uncomfortable conversation with reporters on Wednesday about whether former President Trump should speak at the CPAC as planned this weekend. week.
“Yes, he should,” said McCarthy in a brief response after being questioned by a reporter.
Cheney, however, gave a different answer when he asked the same question.
“It depends on the CPAC”, she started, before elaborating. “I have been clear about my views on President Trump and to what extent, after January 6, I do not believe that he should play a role in the future of the party or the country.”
LIZ CHENEY IN DONALD TRUMP JR.’S CROSSHAIRS 2022
After a moment of awkward silence, McCarthy concluded the press conference. “On that high note, thank you very much,” he said to reporters’ laughter.
Cheney stirred the party up last month when he voted to impeach Trump. Congress members aligned with Trump, such as Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Called for his removal from the House leadership.
MATT GAETZ TARGETS HOUSE LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY TO DEFEND LIZ CHENEY
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Watches as Congresswoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., The president of the House Republican Conference, speaks to reporters as Congress prepares for its first votes on the bill. $ 1.9 trillion Democratic COVID-19 relief bill at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, February 24, 2021. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
Cheney was censored by Republicans in her home state of Wyoming, and Donald Trump Jr., Gaetz and others vowed to support opponents who plan to defeat her.
But 145 members of the House Republican Conference ended up supporting Cheney, with only 61 loyal to Trump voting to remove her from her leadership role during a secret ballot earlier this month.
And Cheney remained defiant in his continued criticism of the former president, who remains popular in the party.
“Those of us who care deeply about our history and our future, who take our oaths and obligations seriously, will lead our party and our nation into the future,” she told the Reagan Institute on Tuesday. “We are going to fix the unforgivable mistakes of 6 January. We will make our party worthy, once again, of the mantle of Lincoln and Reagan.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
McCarthy supported Cheney, but remained supporting Trump, even visiting the former president in Mar-a-Lago to discuss the House’s return to control of the Republican Party in 2022.
Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this report.