In recent days, there has been an all-out revolt against Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) by Republican members of the House of Representatives, who are now openly calling for her to step down as chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, as reported by Breitbart.
The conflict had been growing due to Cheney’s past statements in support of Dr. Anthony Fauci and demanding that people wear masks, in contradiction of President Donald Trump’s suggestions that masks remain voluntary rather than forced. But tensions came to a head in recent days after Cheney spearheaded an effort to have Congress override President Trump’s intentions of withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan.
After Cheney introduced a measure to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that explicitly prohibited the president from withdrawing forces from the Middle East, conservative Republicans led by the House Freedom Caucus began an open revolt against Cheney.
Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said on Twitter that “Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda,” and that “Liz Cheney should step down or be removed” since “House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair.” He followed up with another tweet declaring that “the GOP Conference will be stronger if Liz Cheney is no longer leading it.”
Other prominent conservatives who have attacked Cheney include House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). She has also faced criticism from former Freedom Caucus Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Congressman Chip Roy (R-Texas), over her support of Dr. Anthony Fauci – a federal bureaucrat who has clashed with President Trump in the media on numerous occasions over the coronavirus. She has also faced backlash for her declaration on Twitter that “real men wear masks,” with a picture of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, wearing a mask.
The conflict has already spread outside the House, with Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) declaring that Cheney “wants to stay forever” in foreign wars, and is actively “leading the fight to stop [President Trump] from leaving.” President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also joined in the fray by remarking that “we already have one Mitt Romney, we don’t need another,” and that “we also don’t need the endless wars she advocates for.”