Former President Donald Trump referred to as former Vice President Dick Cheney a “great guy” in a video that resurfaced after he blasted Trump as a “coward” in a reelection marketing campaign advert for his daughter, Representative Liz Cheney.
Representative Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, emerged as one among Trump’s high GOP critics following the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol constructing when a mob of Trump supporters, motivated by unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud, rioted to dam Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Cheney was one among 10 House Republicans to vote to question Trump for his alleged function for inciting the riot and is one among two Republicans to sit down on the committee investigating the rebellion. Her sharp rebuke of the ex-president has appeared to invoke the ire of Trump and GOP voters in her district, with Trump endorsing her GOP main challenger, legal professional Harriet Hageman.
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Cheney launched a brand new marketing campaign advert this week that includes her father, a Republican who served as vice chairman from 2001 to 2009 underneath former President George W. Bush, additionally criticizing Trump as her reelection odds falter.
“In our nation’s 246 year history, there has never been an individual who was a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” he stated. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters rejected him. He is a coward—a real man wouldn’t lie to his supporters.”
As the marketing campaign advert went viral, being considered practically 8 million instances as of Saturday morning, an older video of Trump praising Vice President Cheney in 2018 resurfaced on Twitter.
During a gathering with members of Congress on June 20, 2018, Trump is seen talking amicably with the congresswoman, in addition to Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican who has additionally turn into a staunch Trump critic following the 2020 election. The video was posted by C-SPAN Communications Director Howard Mortman and had been considered greater than 20,000 instances.
Trump and Cheney have been discussing protection coverage, with Cheney offering updates on House Republicans’ plans to go an appropriations invoice, when the then-president requested her to inform her father he stated hey.
“Thank you, Liz,” he stated. “And say hello to your father please. Great guy.”
The resurfaced video reveals the extent to which tensions between Trump and extra conventional conservatives have grown in recent times following the riot. The former president additionally confronted criticism from these seen as a part of the GOP’s institution, however the two wings of the get together largely unified to go conservative targets throughout Trump’s tenure as president. However, relations between Trump and a few members of the GOP soured considerably after January 6, 2021.
Soured Trump-Cheney Relations Could Sink Her Reelection Bid
The video resurfaced lower than two weeks forward of Cheney’s hardest election thus far, the place she is going to face Trump-backed Hageman in Wyoming’s at-large congressional district, which gave Trump practically 70 p.c of the vote in 2020.
Despite floundering ballot numbers among the many normal voters, Trump stays in style with massive swaths of Republican voters, with candidates in search of out his endorsement to spice up their reputation amongst his voters. Polls point out that Hageman is favored to defeat Cheney in what could be a sting for anti-Trump Republicans.
A ballot from the Casper Star-Tribune carried out from July 7 to 11 confirmed Hageman profitable the assist of 52 p.c amongst probably main voters, whereas solely 30 p.c stated they deliberate to vote for Cheney.
Polls counsel Cheney could possibly be the third House Republican who voted to question Trump to lose renomination. Representatives Tom Rice of South Carolina and Peter Meijer of Michigan each misplaced their primaries to Trump-endorsed challengers, whereas 4 pro-impeachment Republicans declined to run for reelection.
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s workplace for remark.