ORLANDO — House Republicans appear to be growing frustrated with GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney’s public opposition to former President Donald Trump.
Cheney, a Wyoming Republican who was among 10 GOP lawmakers to vote to impeach Trump earlier this year, gave a press conference and several media interviews at the GOP retreat in which she repeated her view that Trump is not the leader of the GOP and should not be a part of the Republican Party’s future.
Cheney didn’t bring up the ex-president during the retreat, but she was asked about him at a press conference and in several media interviews and reiterated her well-known opposition to Trump.
Cheney mostly talked about 2022 GOP priorities, including border security and national security issues. Most of Cheney’s press conference was dedicated to those topics. She told the Washington Examiner that the conference is mostly unified, despite the division about Trump.
“I think there are issues on which we don’t agree,” Cheney said. “But I think on the issue of needing to get the House back in 2022 and focusing on substance and policy, we certainly agree.”
Still, at the conclusion of the three-day retreat, reporters asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy if Cheney belonged in the leadership given her staunch opposition to the former president many House Republicans still support.
McCarthy declined to give Cheney an endorsement.
“That’s a question for the conference,” he flatly responded.
A day earlier, Cheney repeated her belief that Trump no longer leads the GOP, despite his outsize influence on party politics.
“I think right now, the Republican Party is headed by Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy in the House,” Cheney said. “I think our elected leaders are the ones who are in charge with the Republican Party. And I think as we look at 2022 and 2024, we’re very much going to be focused on substance.”
Cheney did not invite Trump to the retreat, even though his Mar-a-Lago residence is in Palm Beach.
In media interviews, Cheney told reporters that the 2024 presidential field should exclude lawmakers who voted against certifying the presidential election for President Joe Biden, calling the move “disqualifying.”
More than 100 House Republicans voted against certifying some state results, citing election irregularities that deserved more investigation.
Cheney told the Washington Examiner Trump would not be the 2024 nominee and should not be elected president ever again.
The GOP retreat is an annual tradition and typically takes place far from the Capitol in order to give lawmakers a chance to connect and strengthen relationships while working on the party agenda and messaging strategy.
Instead, Cheney’s Trump comments dominated the headlines. It appeared to frustrate McCarthy, a staunch Trump ally who is poised to become speaker if the GOP can recapture just a handful of seats from the Democrats in 2022.
“Any member who is not focused on policy and making sure the next century is the American century is kind of wasting their time,” the California Republican said Tuesday, not mentioning Cheney by name and referencing the theme of the GOP agenda.
McCarthy and Cheney have individually downplayed any rift in the top leadership, but Cheney’s statements about Trump put her at odds with both McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican and supporter of the former president, and campaign arm Chairman Tom Emmer of Minnesota.
Emmer told the Washington Examiner the GOP conference is “totally unified.”
As for Trump, Emmer said, “The president can play whatever role he wants,” in the midterm election campaigns and that House lawmakers would campaign on his administration’s successes such as tax cuts and job growth.
Scalise, sporting “Trump 2020” socks, said he talks to the former president regularly and anticipates he will help GOP House lawmakers win back the majority next year.
“He’s still engaged,” Scalise said. “He wants to help us get the House back.”
