Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell defended Wyoming MP Liz Cheney on Monday after intense criticism of her decision to vote in favor of impeaching former President Donald Trump.
Cheney has faced calls to step down as president of the Republican Party conference since she and nine other Republicans crossed party lines for Trump’s impeachment. McConnell, R-Ky., Is the most prominent Republican Party leader to date to speak out in defense of Cheney.
“Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them,” McConnell said in a statement. “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 did not rule out the vote to condemn Trump on impeachment charges.
WYOMING GOP RIPS CZECH REP. LIZ CHENEY BY VOTE FOR IMPEACH TRUMP
Cheney publicly condemned Trump after his supporters broke into the Capitol on January 6, when Congressional lawmakers met to confirm President Biden’s victory in the elections. In a hard-hitting statement explaining his reasons for voting for Trump’s impeachment, Cheney said the former president “gathered the crowd and lit the flame for this attack”, spreading unfounded theories that the election was stolen.
The majority leader in the House, Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Quoted Cheney’s comments on the House floor while presenting the Democrats’ final argument for impeachment.
The Wyoming Republican’s stance drew rebukes from hardline conservatives and his own state party, who said Cheney’s vote had generated “anger and frustration” within the Republican Party. Florida Deputy Matt Gaetz, a prominent Trump ally, called for Cheney to be ousted in the primaries in his next election cycle.
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Cheney remained firm in his decision.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Cheney told reporters in January. “This is a vow of conscience.”
The House accused Trump on a single charge of inciting insurrection. The Senate is expected to convene an impeachment trial next week, setting the first of its kind for a former president.