House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office pointed to a comment from Dick Cheney, the father of outgoing representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) after the soon-to-be former representative made disparaging comments about the House leader.
Cheney discussed McCarthy’s leadership of the party on Wednesday, claiming that he was not a wise choice to lead the GOP into the future. Cheney was defeated on Tuesday night by Harriet Hageman in the Wyoming GOP primary race to represent Wyoming’s at-large congressional district. Hageman will now face Wyoming Democrats in the general election.
“We need leaders who have reverence for our Constitution, who are faithful to our Constitution, and who are going to do what’s required to abide by our oath,” Cheney said on NBC’s “Today” show, “no matter whether or not it’s politically convenient. Kevin McCarthy certainly does not fit that bill.”
When asked for a response, an aide for Kevin McCarthy pointed reporters to “comments made by Liz Cheney’s father, Dick Cheney, when he was campaigning in 1976.”
The former vice president said at the time, “Principle is OK up to a certain point, but principle doesn’t do any good if you lose.”
The McCarthy aide called it an “ironic quote from her dad.”
Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump with a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Of the 10 who voted to impeach, eight have been voted out in their primaries or chosen to step down after midterms.
After the vote, Cheney quickly came under attack by Trump and his allies, who have repeatedly called her a Republican In Name Only, a term for Republicans who consistently vote outside of party lines and work with Democrats to pass their agendas. She was ousted from her No. 3 House GOP leadership position in May of last year.
McCarthy said earlier this week that he believes he’ll be the next speaker of the House.
“I believe so. We’ll win the majority and I’ll be speaker. Yes,” McCarthy said in an interview with Fox News on Monday, pointing to the likely regaining of the House majority by the GOP in the midterms.
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