If Republicans needed to learn one thing from the Trump era, it’s that they don’t have to let the media dictate the terms of every discussion. In fact, the media can be told to go screw themselves, and Republican voters actually like it!
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, it seems, didn’t even learn that. During a press conference on Wednesday, a reporter asked both Cheney and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy if they believed the former president should be speaking at CPAC, an obvious attempt to instigate intraparty drama.
McCarthy said no more than yes. But Cheney, who we already know doesn’t care for Trump given her vote to impeach him, had some things to get off of her chest. “I’ve been clear, my views about President Trump, and the extent to which following Jan. 6 I don’t believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country.”
What purpose does it serve for Cheney to, once again, blurt out her distaste for the former president who still retains high approval from the party’s voters? It does nothing to advance the interests of the party or the country she professes to be so concerned with.
Hey, Republicans, guess what — you don’t have to spend any more time talking about Trump. He’s no longer president. He’s no longer tweeting. The media will want you to talk about him because they know it causes conflict within the party, but it’s not something you have to do.
That goes for all Republicans, the ones who still support him and the ones who don’t. The next election is never that far away, and the policy proposals and arguments they will need to make to win back more seats in Congress will be far more important to voters than their opinions on someone who’s no longer in office.
Trump will certainly play a role in the party, regardless of Cheney’s wishes. He’s going to take care of himself. Every other Republican can do the same for themselves and stop diving at every opportunity to comment on Trump.
