Congresswoman Liz Cheney has lost her Republican Party primary contest
to represent Wyoming in the House of Representatives. She conceded
last night to Harriet Hagerman, who won in a landslide, beating Cheney
by nearly 40 points. The loss was expected for Cheney since the attack
on the U. S. Capitol. She has been one of former President Donald
Trump's loudest critics.
And served as vice chair of the House Select Committee investigating
January 6th. In her concession remarks, she made clear that she knew
the political cost of standing up to trump and that she would continue
to work to keep him out of power.
Two years ago, I won this primary was 73% of the vote.
I could easily have done the same again. The path was clear.
But it would have required that I go along with President Trump's
lie about the 2020 election.
It would have required that I enable his ongoing efforts to unravel
our democratic system and attack the foundations of our republic.
That was a path I could not and would not take.
Trump had endorsed Hageman and campaigned for her. In her victory
speech last night. She thanked him.
Wyoming has made clear that we are done being governed by the Washington
D. C unit party. Those Democrats and Republicans who don't really
care which party is in power, just as long as they are, but I did
not do this on my own. Obviously, we're all very grateful to President
Trump, who recognizes that Wyoming has only one congressional representative,
and we have to make it count.
His his clear and unwavering support from the very beginning propelled
us to victory tonight.
Here to discuss Chinese defeat and what it says about the state of
the Republican Party. I'm joined by Sarah Long Well, she's a strategist
and founder of the Republican Accountability Project, a political
action committee that works against Trump's election lives. And Tim
Stub son. He's a former state representative in Wyoming who supported
Cheney in this campaign. And welcome to both of you to the news hour
Tim stubs and I'm going to start with you was there anything that
Liz Cheney could have done to win?
This.
Primary, given her her opposition to former president Trump.
I think the only thing she could have done is run away from her decisions
to vote for impeachment to join the January 6th committee and to
really speak truth. If she would have run away from those things,
maybe she would have had a chance, but by embracing them really with
great courage, I think that's sort of cast the die in this election.
Sarah Long Well, what do you see in these Wyoming results that clarify
in any way the whole that former President Trump has
On
So many Republican voters.
I think it's been clear for a while now that Donald Trump's hold
on the party
is almost total. I mean, if you look across these primary elections,
not just Liz Cheney's, But in all the GOP primaries,
you know candidate after candidate has had to pay homage to the big
lie in order to get Trump's endorsement. Uh, and the people who have
embraced the big liar, the people who have won and as a result, we
have candidates across the country carry Lake in Arizona, dug Mass.
Triano and Pennsylvania.
Um Herschel Walker in Georgia. But it really is most of the candidates
who have emerged our election deniers, and and so that is that is
the entire party. So it's not just about trump anymore. It is about
the forces that Donald Trump has inlay unleashed in the Republican
Party and there really is no going back.
To the party that I came up into the party that I knew
it is now fully embraced Donald Trump and his anti Democratic, Um
You know movement.
And and so, Tim stubs. And what does that mean? I mean, you're in
Wyoming. What does that mean for you? As you look at the your party,
the Republican Party going forward with this kind of allegiance to
former President Trump and the denial of the of the last election.
Yeah, I don't think what Sarah's says is wrong. We certainly saw
down ballot the real power of Donald Trump's force. In this election.
We have a secretary of state nominee now who's an election denier
and likely will be our next secretary of state. But maybe I'm a little
bit more optimistic. I I still believe that if we can get enough
people of courage of integrity to stand up and really called truth,
truth and lie lie that we can change the direction of the report.
Glicken party may not be the Republican Party was yesterday, but
it can be certainly a lot better than it is today.
Sarah Long. Well, how do you see that happening? What arguments do
you make to either Republicans who are today loyal to Donald Trump
or to others who you might bring to the Republican Party? Uh, just
to stand up to that, but still identify with the core of what the
Republican Party believes whatever that still is.
Yeah, There's really two things to do. One is you have to defeat
these dangerous anti democracy candidates
in this upcoming 2022 election. And so you know, swing. Voters have
got to reject all of these people who are election deniers because
it is only through sustained electoral defeat that the Republican
Party will have any incentive to change its current trajectory. The
second thing thing it needs is a leader and I think that's really
what Liz Cheney
He has emerged. As you know, I've watched her through the January
6th committee. You know, she has been forged as a national
Leadership
figure, and I think that look, I don't think she's done. I think
she made it very clear that she is probably going to run for president.
I don't think she will run as an independent. I think she will run
as a as the rock ribbed conservative that she is, and I think she
will take this sort of truth telling that she has been doing directly
to Donald Trump. And she will do you know she's not trying to put
herself in the White House. I don't think I think she's trying to
make sure that Donald Trump does not get back into the White House
and and and given that Tim's
Dobson. What do you see happening when when you have an appeal, like
the one Liz Cheney's going to be making and perhaps other Republicans
up against
The appeal of former President Trump and all the Republicans like
Rhonda Santos, the governor of Florida, who are big supporters of
his
Yeah, And I mean, it's a fairly sharp contrast. Isn't it between
those other candidates and Liz Cheney? And she, I think brings a
unique and powerful voice to the discussion agree wholeheartedly
that really in many ways, she stands alone as the potential leader
for Republican Party that believes in Fidelity to the Constitution
believes in the rule of law.
And so you know, it's going to take more than her. Of course, it's
going to take a number of people to stand up and be courageous and
speak truth. And so I mean, how do you? How do you see this? Playing
out Sarah long? Well, I mean, not asking you to look at a at a crystal
ball here, but But how do you see this? Playing out? We hear Liz
Cheney talking about the great task. This is what she's she's named
this group that she's that she's founding and organizing.
Um, how did they go about making that argument?
Look first things first. I think she's going to continue her work
on the January 6th committee until she has to leave office, and that
has been incredibly impactful work. And so I think her job there
is not done and then look, I think Donald Trump may very well announced,
much to the chagrin of Republicans he could announce before the midterms,
or shortly thereafter. And so there's actually not that much time
before she would have to potentially make a decision whether to run
as a Republican candidate.
And when you run as a Republican candidate and listen
I think it's very there's a very narrow path for her to win. I do
not think that is likely. And I also think they will go to great
lengths to keep her from a debate stage, potentially even to keep
her off a ballot. But she is ready to do a kamikaze mission for democracy
and she is going to if they do that to her. She will continue to
make her case. There is no bigger stage to reach Republican voters,
then running in the GOP primary, and Donald Trump has been able to
make other people look small. When he's gone against them. I don't
think he can make list Cheney look small, She will
Look substantial standing up to him, and I think that she can change
minds, if not of tons of Republican voters than many of the swing
voters who will decide the general election. And I think that's the
plan. What are the what? I mean hearing that Tim stubs and what are
the arguments that you think
Ah, voter Republican voters right now in Wyoming. I mean, you talked
to a number of them who are with former President Trump. What argument
could sway them? Do you think
I think you, um you have to eventually make the case to them that
the long term health of our nation depends upon honoring our institutions
depends upon honoring our Constitution. Depending depends upon making
sure that everybody, including the president of the United States
is held to account under the rule of law. And I mean, Liz has been
making that case and making it very, very strongly
you have, you know, ever since the beginning of the year, but
It will be difficult task, but I'm sure she's up to it.
Sarah long. Well, do you see her go, She said today she is thinking
about running for president. Do you think she will?
I do think she will. I mean, I don't know that her the way she is
talking could be any clearer when she says, you know when she calls
it the task when she says her job is not done when she says she's
just getting started. That sounds to me like a person who is ready
to continue this fight, and I think she knows that the only way that
you get the kind of attention and the kind of audience that she needs
to sort of prosecute this case against Trump.
Is by trying to either get on the stage with him or by saying that
she is going to take him on for the Republican nomination, and people
are going to dismiss that because they're going to say Well, this
Cheney can't win. And the important thing to understand is that for
her, I don't think that it is about winning. I think it is about
making this case. I think it is about telling people about Donald
Trump and the threat to American democracy and keeping him out of
the White House.
Sarah long? Well, Tim stubs and we thank you both.