The ringleader of the establishment Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), announced on Thursday a donation to Democrat ally Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) reelection campaign.
Cheney, who is no longer recognized as a Republican by the Wyoming GOP, has received a campaign contribution from the Senate GOP leader, McConnell told Axios. When asked if he will hold a fundraiser or other campaign event with Cheney, McConnell redirected the conversation back to his lane of Senate business.
McConnell and Cheney apparently believe the Wyoming member may lose her seat to Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman, a strong threat to the establishment Republican order in Washington, DC. With Hageman catching momentum heading into the August 16 GOP primary, former President George Bush has also donated the legal maximum amount to Cheney. McConnell and Bush are joined in their support of Cheney by failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-UT). In March, Romney delivered a speech at a closed fundraiser for the embattled Cheney.
The Wyoming race has become a proxy war between the establishment and conservative Republicans. Hageman has earned the support of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Party leaders typically rarely endorse against sitting members of Congress. But after Cheney deserted the Republican party by allying herself with Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 committee and reportedly “orchestrated unprecedented” Republican sabotage, McCarthy presumably believed Cheney must be ousted from her seat.
McCarthy’s support of Hageman came with a massive fundraiser with powerful MAGA heavy hitters. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), among others, co-hosted the fundraising event. “Needless to say, the number of sitting House Republicans who are lining up against Cheney is quite stunning,” Punchbowl News noted.
Hageman has also earned the endorsement of Donald Trump and Republican megadonor Peter Thiel, who reportedly dubbed Cheney the “ringleader” of the “treasonous ten” in reference to those Republicans who attempted to impeach Trump.
Cheney’s opposition in Wyoming says their member actually lives in Washington, DC, and seldom visits her home state. “Cheney hasn’t appeared at a state Republican Party function in more than two years and hasn’t been to an in-person event for any of the party’s 23 county chapters since 2020,” the New York Times reported. When she does appear in the state, she charges voters to attend the event.
Cheney’s absence from Wyoming voters lines up with what Hageman has told Breitbart News. “Liz Cheney has lost Wyoming. Liz Cheney doesn’t live in Wyoming. She doesn’t represent us,” Hageman said. “She doesn’t represent our values.”
Cheney has defended herself by accusing her opposition of being unworthy of her time. “I’m not going to convince the crazies and I reject the crazies,” Cheney stated about Wyoming voters.
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