Cheney Ultimately Stripped of Speakership... Continues Anti-Trump Fight

Cheney "Total Effort to Block Trump's Reelection"
Likely to Support Anti-Trump Figures in Next Year's Midterm Elections

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. Republican Party has ousted Representative Liz Cheney, the third-ranking member of the party and a prominent 'anti-Trump' figure, from the House Republican Conference chairmanship. In response, Chairwoman Cheney announced that she will continue her campaign to prevent former President Donald Trump's re-election.

According to U.S. media including The Washington Post (WP), Republican House members voted on the 12th (local time) to remove Chairwoman Cheney from the leadership. The Associated Press reported that the decision was made in less than 20 minutes during a closed-door meeting.

Republican figures, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have long argued that Cheney's criticism of former President Trump undermines party unity and have pushed for her removal from the leadership.

Ultimately, Cheney's ousting is widely seen as the Republican Party's declaration that it will not tolerate criticism of former President Trump. This also reflects a pragmatic judgment that Trump's popular support is crucial for winning the 2022 midterm elections.

Cheney currently ranks third in party hierarchy after Minority Leader McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise. As chair of the House Republican Conference, which includes all Republican members, she oversees the conference votes that elect the minority leader and presides over various meetings to discuss the party's key policies and legislative plans. Cheney is also the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who served as George W. Bush's running mate and is regarded as one of the most powerful vice presidents in history.

It means that the daughter, who had been rising steadily within the party about a decade after her father completed his eight-year vice presidency in a Republican administration in January 2009, has now been pushed out of the leadership.

Earlier, Cheney condemned former President Trump's claims of election fraud as false and voted in favor of his impeachment trial along with nine other Republican House members following the January Capitol riot by Trump supporters.

On the day she was stripped of her chairmanship, Cheney declared her intention to run for re-election in next year's midterm elections and emphasized that she will continue to oppose former President Trump. After the leadership vote, Cheney stated, "It is impossible to embrace blatant lies and the Constitution at the same time," and vowed to lead the fight to restore the Republican Party to its conservative core principles. She added, "I will do everything possible to ensure that former President Trump never sets foot near the White House again."

As part of her anti-Trump campaign, she is expected to support candidates opposing former President Trump in next year's midterm elections. WP quoted a close aide to Cheney saying, "We are considering providing political or financial support to those running as Republican candidates next year who hold critical views of former President Trump."

Ellie Stefanik, a House Representative, is a strong candidate to succeed Cheney as chairwoman. Former President Trump and party leadership have already publicly expressed their support for her, although some critics argue that she is "not conservative enough."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.