U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney became the belle of the impeachment ball for the left by leading the 10 GOP House lawmakers who ultimately voted to remove President Donald Trump from office.
Delighted Democrats and left-wing journalists praised her for joining “The Resistance,” even if only momentarily and just a week before Trump leaves office anyway.
Yet the folks back home were none too pleased – and were not shy in telling her so.
To recap, Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and the No. 3 Republican in the House, blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Five people, including an Air Force veteran shot by U.S. Capitol Police and a Capitol Police officer, died that day.
In a statement, Cheney said, “None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”
During the impeachment debate, Several Democrats praised her stance – to the chagrin and anger of her GOP colleagues. After the vote, reports surfaced that Republicans wanted to remove her as the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.
Cheney balked.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “This is a vote of conscience. It’s one where there are different views in our conference. But our nation is facing an unprecedented, since the Civil War, a constitutional crisis.”
Wyoming Republican leaders, however, rejected Cheney’s reasons for slamming Trump, while aiding and abetting Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her ranks. They told Cheney so in an open letter on the party’s website.
“The wind in Wyoming has been horrendous today — with gusts up to 65 miles per hour. That is nothing compared to the whirlwind created by Representative Cheney’s announcement that she would be voting to impeach President Trump, and her subsequent follow-through of doing just that,” the letter stated.
“There has not been a time during our tenure when we have seen this type of an outcry from our fellow Republicans, with the anger and frustration being palpable in the comments we have received. Our telephone has not stopped ringing, our email is filling up, and our website has seen more traffic than at any previous time,” the letter continued.
“The consensus is clear that those who are reaching out to the Party vehemently disagree with Representative Cheney’s decision and actions.”
The party’s leadership then said they felt compelled by the outcry to share why Wyoming Republicans are so upset.
First, the vote denied Trump due process. “She judged the ‘evidence’ before it was presented and refused to listen to the arguments made.”
Second, Trump won Wyoming with 70 percent of the vote. “Representative Cheney is in Washington, DC to represent Wyoming’s interest, not the interest of the beltway elites.”
Third, “President Trump did not incite anyone to riot. Read the transcript of what he said and watch the video.”
Fourth, “We have watched the leftists and progressives in this country riot, burn, kill, maim, loot and destroy cities and communities for 7 months, often with Democrat leaders egging them on, bailing them out and refusing to condemn their actions.”
Fifth, Cheney “has aligned herself with leftists who are screaming that what happened (Jan. 6) is the ‘worst thing ever in our history’ (or similar such claims). That is absurd and shows their lack of knowledge of history as well as their willingness to skew the facts to further their corrupt agenda.
Sixth, Democrats “are using this to smear the entire conservative movement and all Republicans. By voting to impeach, Representative Cheney is helping them in that effort.”
Seventh, “Wyoming’s way of life and our entire economic future is under attack. We count on our elected officials to protect us. This move to impeach President Trump shows that we have a real reason to fear what is going to happen under the Biden administration.”
And finally, “This move to impeach President Trump makes it that much more difficult for our country to solve the serious problems we have, including Chinese and Iranian aggression, our overwhelming debt, and the catastrophic response to covid19.”
The letter concluded, “These are only some of the themes of the comments we have received.”
“We as a Party respect our elected officials and assume that they will respect and represent their constituents. We are receiving the message loud and clear that what happened yesterday is a true travesty for Wyoming and the country.”