Ten House Republicans voted to impeach Donald Trump from the White House last year. Only two of them now have the chance of retaining their offices in the upcoming midterm elections.
The biggest blow to centrist-Republicans came after the Wyoming primary results were announced on Wednesday. Liz Cheney, a sharp critic of Trump, failed to secure the GOP’s nomination for the US House of Representatives.
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Other Republicans who supported Trump’s removal from the White House were Peter Meijer, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse, Tom Rice, David Valadao, Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Gonzalez, Fred Upton and John Katko.
Dan Newhouse of Washington and David Valadao of California who survived the ultimate primary test after opposing Trump. The remaining eight will not be part of the next elected US Congress.
The eight Republican lawmakers can further be divided into two categories: Those who lost the elections and those who never participated.
Cheney, Meijer, Herrera Beutler and Rice– all four lost their primary elections to a candidate who had Trump’s endorsement. On the other hand, Kinzinger, Gonzalez, Katko and Upton said they would not contest the elections.
Two of these candidates — Cheney and Kinzinger — were also part of the January 6th Committee, which is investigating Donald Trump’s involvement in the Capitol riots. If renewed by the next US Congress, Kinzinger and Cheney would be absent.
Taylor Budowich, the former President’s spokesperson, wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, “The J6 Committee no longer has a “Republican” who will be on the ballot in November… because neither Cheney or Kinzinger were interested in representing Republicans.”
Also Read: Donald Trump, allies celebrate Liz Cheney’s Wyoming primary loss
Cheney could very well announce her own run for the White House — unlikely to win a hostile Republican Party’s nomination but to at least give those opposed to Trump an alternative.
Overnight, she transferred leftover campaign funds into a new entity: “The Great Task.” That’s a phrase from The Gettysburg Address.