Choosing Trump Over Cheney

In Defying the Odds, we discuss Trump's dishonesty and his record of disregarding the rule of law.  Our next book, Divided We Stand, looks at the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection.

Mike Allen at Axios:

Top Republicans are turning on House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney, the party’s highest-ranking woman in Congress — with one key conservative suggesting she could be ousted from leadership within a month, Axios' Jonathan Swan, Glen Johnson and Alayna Treene report.

• Why it matters: The comments by House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, chair of the Republican Study Committee, carry weight because of their close relationship with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Banks, leader of the largest conservative caucus in the House, told Axios that criticisms by Cheney are "an unwelcome distraction," and he questioned whether she would retain her leadership role in a month.

• Banks indicated he thought Cheney wasn’t focused enough on winning back the majority, and said the dissatisfaction with her leadership ran throughout the House GOP rank and file.
• Banks' comments were echoed more diplomatically by Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 Republican in the House, who told Axios: "This idea that you just disregard President Trump is not where we are, and, frankly, he has a lot to offer still."

A Cheney spokesperson declined to comment.

• Cheney, the No. 3 House GOP leader, says she's committed to regaining Republican control of the House and Senate in 2022.

Cheney told reporters this week at a House Republican retreat in Orlando that anyone challenging the 2020 election results should be disqualified from a presidential campaign in 2024 — and she wouldn't rule out a run.

• McCarthy responded: "If you're sitting here at a retreat that's focused on policy ... and you're talking about something else, you're not being productive."

Asked whether Cheney will retain her leadership position in a month, Banks said: "I don't know."

• “That’s up to her," he added. "I think a lot of us would like to see her join the team."

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