Durham’s FBI-Trump report fuels House GOP ‘weaponization’ attacks

House Republicans say the long-awaited report from special counsel John Durham bolsters their arguments that federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been “weaponized” against political enemies — a theme that has been a major defining belief of their new majority. 

“The long-awaited Durham Report confirmed what the American people already know; that individuals at the highest levels of government attempted to overthrow democracy when they illegally weaponized the federal government against Donald J. Trump,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in a statement.

The report found that federal authorities did not have sufficient information to open their “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Durham did not recommend any charges to the FBI in his report but said that the agency was “seriously deficient” in how it handled some aspects of the investigation, including relying on “raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence.” 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) quoted from the report in a press conference Tuesday, raising alarm about its assertion that “the FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law” and that it identified an FBI agent who knowingly made misrepresentations to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

“Where’s the accountability for this? Who’s going to be held accountable? These are the questions we’re going to continue to ask,” Scalise said.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) invited Durham to speak to his panel’s select subcommittee on government weaponization — created at the request of the right flank ahead of the tumultuous election of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — at the end of the month.

Many House GOP members, including those serving on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees, said that they had not yet read the more than 300-page report released Monday, when many were focused on the debt ceiling negotiations.

Yet several Republicans said that the report essentially confirmed their own biases.

“We all already believed or knew what was in there,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). “It's like, ‘Yeah, see? We told you so.’”

McCarthy told The Hill that Republicans already knew about the things that were “so appalling.”

“They took the entire country through this, impeachment, everything else, when we knew the FBI never should have done this from the very beginning,” McCarthy said.

Democrats, for their part, criticized the report for not offering enough new information.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that the report amounted to “a political rehashing of what the Justice Department Inspector General already made public in 2019.” 

“Mr. Durham has, one last time, over promised and under delivered,” Nadler said before referencing special counsel Robert Mueller, who released a report in 2019 on his investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

“Nothing in this report changes the outcome of the Mueller investigation, which resulted in multiple convictions, found more than one hundred contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Russian government, and substantial reason to believe that Donald Trump had committed obstruction of justice,” Nadler said.

The report from Durham is likely to affect how House Republicans legislate, and may also play a role in the GOP presidential primary.

“The report confirms that FBI personnel repeatedly disregarded critical protections established to protect the American people from unlawful surveillance,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “Such actions should never have occurred, and it is essential that Congress codifies clear guardrails that prevent future FBI abuses and restores the public’s trust in our law enforcement institutions.”

The FBI is getting ahead of calls for change, releasing a five-page letter responding to Durham that details recent reforms.

“The conduct in 2016 and 2017 that Special Counsel Durham examined was the reason that current FBI leadership already implemented dozens of corrective actions, which have now been in place for some time,” the FBI said in a statement. “Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented. This report reinforces the importance of ensuring the FBI continues to do its work with the rigor, objectivity, and professionalism the American people deserve and rightly expect.”

One area likely to be affected by the politics of the Durham report is Congress’s reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows for warrantless surveillance of foreigners outside the United States, even as they communicate with U.S. citizens within the U.S. — thus allowing intelligence agencies to pick up citizen communications without a warrant.

“I can assure you, 702 — that is not going to get rubber-stamped,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the House Judiciary Committee. “We’ve got to have a serious reboot or elimination of what we're seeing through FISA 702.”

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, also said that the Durham report will probably affect FISA reauthorization.

In a Twitter thread, Crenshaw said there “must be consequences” based on the findings of the report.

“This report demonstrates how unelected, subversive actors within the highest levels of our government sought to destroy a duly-elected president they hated. They weaponized a lie – knowing the media would breathlessly regurgitate that lie – in order to take Donald Trump out of the White House,” Crenshaw said.

Six takeaways from House committee assignments so far

As members of the House continue to receive committee assignments for the new Congress, Republicans are shaking up several panels with their newly obtained majority.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has doubled down on promises to block certain Democrats from top panels, while several Republicans who played key roles in his long, drawn-out fight for Speaker have found their way onto prominent committees.

More committee assignments remain to be handed out, but here are the six main takeaways so far:

Greene, Gosar back on committees

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., joined at left by Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) were placed back on committees on Tuesday, after having their committee assignments stripped in 2021.

Both Greene and Gosar were selected to sit on the Oversight and Accountability Committee, while Greene was also chosen to serve on the Homeland Security Committee and Gosar was picked to sit on the Natural Resources Committee.

Greene, who had reportedly lobbied for the spot on the Oversight committee, was a key supporter of McCarthy throughout his bid for Speaker. She was stripped of her committee assignments in February 2021, just one month after joining Congress, for espousing conspiracy theories and encouraging violence against Democratic officials on social media.

Gosar was censured and removed from his committees in November 2021, after he posted an anime-style video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and engaging in a sword fight with President Biden.

McCarthy sparks fresh anger with vow to keep Omar off Foreign Affairs

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) speaks to reporters during a break in a House Democratic caucus meeting and leadership election on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 for the 118th session of Congress.

McCarthy has recently doubled down on his previous vows to keep Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee, sparking fresh anger among Democrats and Muslim advocacy groups.

Omar, one of three Muslim members of Congress, has been critical of the Israeli government and its supporters, leading to accusations of antisemitism.

“Last year, I promised that when I became Speaker, I would remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee based on her repeated anti-semitic and anti-American remarks,” McCarthy said in a tweet in November. “I'm keeping that promise.”

McCarthy reportedly told the GOP conference last week that he still plans to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Robert McCaw, the government affairs department director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the decision to reinstate Greene and Gosar while threatening to remove Omar “absolute insanity and hypocrisy” in a statement on Wednesday. 

“Racism and Islamophobia would be the only explanation for this hypocritical double-standard,” McCaw said.

While McCarthy has promised to block Omar’s appointment, he cannot do so alone. In order to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, House Republicans would have to bring the matter to a vote on the House floor.

Schiff, Swalwell future on Intel panel still in peril

In this May 28, 2019 file photo, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speak with members of the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Reps. Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell’s (D-Calif.) futures on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence also remain in peril, as McCarthy has similarly promised to boot both California Democrats from the powerful panel.

McCarthy has cited accusations that Schiff, the former chair of the Intelligence Committee, lied to the public about the extent of former President Trump’s ties to Russia during his 2016 campaign and exaggerated the central assertion of Trump’s first impeachment.

The first impeachment, which Schiff led, accused Trump of pressuring Ukrainian officials to investigate his political rivals by threatening to withhold aid.

In Swalwell’s case, McCarthy has pointed to his ties to an alleged Chinese spy who helped fundraise for the congressman in 2014. However, Swalwell reportedly cut ties with the individual after the FBI informed him of her identity.

Swalwell was also an impeachment manager for Trump’s second impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Schiff’s and Swalwell’s positions on the Intelligence Committee are in a particularly precarious state, given that McCarthy can unilaterally reject their appointments without bringing a resolution to the House floor for a vote. 

Santos gets committee assignments

George Santos

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., departs after attending a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the embattled first-term lawmaker who has admitted to lying about his background on the campaign trail, was seated on the Small Business Committee and Science, Space and Technology Committee on Tuesday.

McCarthy had confirmed last week that Santos would be seated on committees, even as several members of the Republican conference called for his resignation.

“I try to stick by the Constitution. The voters elected him to serve. If there is a concern, and he has to go through the Ethics [Committee], let him move through that,” McCarthy told reporters.

Santos is facing investigations on multiple fronts, as his claims about his background continue to unravel. The Nassau County district attorney and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York have both launched probes into the New York Republican, while Brazilian authorities reopened a fraud case against Santos from 2008.

Complaints have also been filed with the House Ethics Committee and Federal Election Commission over allegations that Santos falsified his financial disclosures and violated campaign finance laws.

McCarthy detractors get seats on Financial Services, Appropriations panels

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) addresses reporters after a closed-door House Republican conference meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) addresses reporters after a closed-door House Republican conference meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Several Republican members who opposed McCarthy’s bid for Speaker, drawing out the fight over a historic four days and 15 ballots, received seats on top House panels last week.

Of the 20 members of the anti-McCarthy group, Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) were both appointed to the Financial Services Committee, while Reps. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) and Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) found their way on to the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) also maintained his spot on the Financial Services Committee.

While GOP leadership has said that no members were promised committee assignments as part of its negotiations during the Speaker fight, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) noted last week that they did agree to ensure that “committees are represented by a whole swath of our membership.”

This has largely translated into providing hard-line conservatives with more spots on prominent committees. 

Foxx gets waiver to lead Education panel

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) at a House Education and Labor Committee hearing examining the policies and priorities of the Department of Labor on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) at a House Education and Labor Committee hearing examining the policies and priorities of the Department of Labor on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) was selected to chair the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, after receiving a waiver from GOP leadership.

House GOP rules only permit members to serve as the head of a committee for three consecutive terms. As Foxx is beginning her fourth term as the top Republican on the education panel, she required a waiver to serve as chair.

Jim Jordan Slams Liz Cheney – Can’t Have A Conference Chair ‘Reciting Democrat Talking Points’

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) spoke out over the weekend to explain why it was necessary to replace Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as the Republican Conference chair with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

Jordan Blasts Liz Cheney

He said that the Republican conference chair should not be “reciting Democrat talking points” nor disagreeing with 90% of the party.

“I think we are united now,” Jordan said. “You know … with Congresswoman Cheney, you can’t have a conference chair — a spokesperson for the party — who’s reciting Democrat talking points.”

“You can’t have a conference chair who wants to consistently go after the individual who 74 million Americans voted for,” he added. “You just can’t have a conference chair who disagrees with 90% of our party, so the replacement of Liz with Elise, I think, is a good move.”

Related: Liz Cheney Hints That She May Run For President In 2024

Jordan Doubles Down

“I think Elise has a proven track record. She’s had President Trump’s support, the … leader of our House Republicans, Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Scalise, has good support within our conference, she’s A-plus with the NRA, endorsed by Susan B. Anthony List, and most importantly … she’s a darn good communicator,” he added. “And we saw that during impeachment a year and a half ago.”

“So, I think she’s going to do a nice job, and we’re gonna be united focused on the crazy things Democrats want to do to the country and the unbelievable things that have already happened in just a little over 100 days of the Biden administration,” Jordan concluded.

Related: A Defiant Liz Cheney Ousted From Leadership, Attacks Trump and His Supporters

Cheney Attacks Jordan

Cheney was asked about Jordan in an interview on ABC on Sunday.

“Jim Jordan talking about a possible Trump 2024 run said, ‘There’s no way he is losing. He’s going to win the Republican primary, and he’s going to be president if he decides to run,'” host Jon Karl said. “Now, based on today’s facts, he’s right, isn’t he, about the primary part, at least? I mean, there’s nobody, there’s not even a close second out there, is there?”

“I think Jim’s wrong. It’s not the first time Jim has been wrong, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time, but he is wrong,” Cheney replied. “I think there are millions and millions of Republicans who won’t let that happen again.”

This piece was written by James Samson on May 17, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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GOP Rep: Stefanik Too Liberal To Replace Cheney, Urges GOP To Choose A Conservative

With the vote to oust Congresswoman Liz Cheney from House Republican leadership looming, one conservative House Freedom Caucus member circulated a memo to every GOP office claiming that her presumed successor, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik isn’t much different from a Democrat.

On Tuesday, Congressman Chip Roy sent a memo asking the House Republican conference to reconsider Stefanik, citing her voting record, and encouraging Republicans to choose someone more conservative.

Republican Roy Rejects Stefanik: ‘Choose Someone Who Reflects Our Conservative Values’

In his memo, Roy argues that Stefanik voted against Trump’s agenda often, siding with Democrats.

Roy asked House Republicans to instead, “choose someone who reflects our conservative values.”

“We must avoid putting in charge Republicans who campaign as Republicans but then vote for and advance the Democrats’ agenda once sworn in,” Roy wrote to his fellow GOP members.

“Therefore, with all due respect to my friend, Elise Stefanik, let us contemplate the message Republican leadership is about to send by rushing to coronate a spokesperson whose voting record embodies much of what led to the 2018 ass-kicking we received by Democrats,” Roy added.

Other Conservatives Not Happy With Stefanik Succeeding Cheney

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced on Monday that the secret ballot vote to oust Cheney from her leadership position will happen on Wednesday.

Cheney has drawn heat from Republicans for not only voting to impeach former President Donald Trump on the second impeachment vote, but for continuing to attack him in op-eds and during interviews.

McCarthy and other leaders believe Cheney has become too much of a distraction away from what the party should focused on: Winning more House seats for Republicans in 2022.

Roy is not the only conservative to complain about Stefanik’s lack of a conservative voting record.

The conservative Club for Growth said, “Elise Stefanik is NOT a good spokesperson for the House Republican Conference.”

“She is a liberal with a 35% CFGF lifetime rating, 4th worst in the House GOP. House Republicans should find a conservative to lead messaging and win back the House Majority.”

RELATED: OJ Simpson Defends Liz Cheney – Says She’s ‘Standing Up For The Truth’

Stefanik Has The Backing Of Republican Leadership And Trump

Roy’s memo to House Republicans highlighted several problematic Stefanik votes for conservatives, including her opposition to a border wall. 

“The forgotten men and women of this country simply want us to stand up for them,” Roy wrote. “Please tell me how we are sending a message today that we are standing up for them with a leadership-tapped colleague with that record as our spokesperson?”

Roy said that if the GOP strays from Trump’s America First Agenda it could hurt the party at the ballot box.

Trump and McCarthy, along with GOP Minority Whip Steve Scalise have all endorsed Stefanik. 

 

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Mitt Romney Claims That Removing Liz Cheney From Leadership Will Cost Republicans ‘Quite A Few’ Votes

On Monday, Sen. Mitt Romney claimed that removing the embattled anti-Trump Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney as House Republican Conference chair will hurt Republicans in upcoming elections.  

Romney wrote on Twitter, “Expelling Liz Cheney from leadership won’t gain the GOP one additional voter, but it will cost us quite a few.”

RELATED: Al Franken Accuses Trump Of Promoting ‘Disinformation’ That Is ‘Very, Very Dangerous’ And ‘Practically Treasonous’

Sen. Romney: ‘Liz Cheney Refuses To Lie’

These comments from the Utah Republican come in the wake of Romney recently praising Cheney.

“Every person of conscience draws a line beyond which they will not go: Liz Cheney refuses to lie,” Romney tweeted.

The senator added, “As one of my Republican Senate colleagues said to me following my impeachment vote: ‘I wouldn’t want to be a member of a group that punished someone for following their conscience.”

Vote To Remove Cheney Scheduled For Wednesday

Cheney is in hot water with her party for voting to impeach Donald Trump and continuing to publicly attack the former president, who is very popular with Republican voters.

Mrs. Cheney drew heat last Monday when she said that anyone who claims the 2020 presidential election was  “poisoning our democratic system.” 

Cheney added, in an obvious rebuke to Trump,  “The 2020 presidential election was not stolen.” 

She continued, “Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.”

As Republicans hope to pick up House seats in 2022, leadership now believes that Cheney has become too much of a distraction and a liability.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) have now both announced they plan to support Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to replace Cheney as House Republican Conference chair.

A vote on this is scheduled to take place Wednesday.

McCarthy said on Fox News on Sunday, “To defeat Nancy Pelosi and the socialist agenda, we need to be united, and that starts with leadership. That’s why we will have a vote next week, and we want to be united and looking moving forward. I think that’s what will take place.” 

RELATED: GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Endorses Elise Stefanik To Replace Liz Cheney, Vote Could Come By Wednesday

McCarthy: ‘What We Are Talking About, It’s A Position In leadership’

“Any member can take whatever position they believe in.,” McCarthy continued. “That’s what the voters vote on the individuals, and they make that decision.”

“What we are talking about, it’s a position in leadership,” McCarthy observed.

“We are in one of our biggest battles ever for this nation and the direction of whether this century will be ours,” he finished. “As conference chair, you have the most critical jobs of the messenger going forward.”

 

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For Donald Trump, Defeating ‘NeverTrumper’ Liz Cheney Is Top Priority For 2022

Making sure that anti-Trump Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney is defeated in her 2022 midterm primary election is a top goal for Donald Trump, according to a spokesman for the former president.

In an interview published on Saturday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller told the Washington Post that Trump’s political advisers have been calling Wyoming officials to discuss potential primary challengers to Cheney.

RELATED: DeSantis Tells Unemployed Floridians To Look For Jobs, Unemployment Benefits Supposed To Be Temporary

Trump Committed To Seeing Cheney Defeated In 2022

Miller said that for Team Trump, unseating Cheney was “one of the highest priorities as far as primary endorsements go.”

Trump met with advisers in Florida as recently as Monday to begin analyzing 2022 campaign endorsements, according to sources close with the former president.

According to those sources, Trump wants to support a single candidate against Cheney. He does not want to divide the vote, knowing multiple challengers would make it easier for Cheney to retain her seat. 

Cheney is already in hot water back home in Wyoming for her vote to impeach Trump. 

She has already drawn primary challengers and was censured by County Republican parties in Wyoming for her impeachment vote.

This news comes in the wake of it being all but certain that Republicans will vote to remove Cheney from her role as House Republican Conference chairwoman this week.

Trump and other Republican leaders have endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik to replace Cheney in Republican leadership.

Trump: Cheney Is A ‘Warmongering Fool’

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have signaled that they will support removing Cheney from her post. 

Scalise and McCarthy had previously defended Cheney as she faced attacks for her vote to impeach Trump earlier this year over his alleged role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6. 

Cheney has been a fierce critic of Trump, claiming that the former president’s efforts questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election have been damaging to the Republican Party and the country. 

In response, Trump called Cheney a “warmongering fool” in a statement.

RELATED: Mika Brzezinski Claims Texas GOP Pushing ‘Big Lie’ With Election Law – ‘Could Destabilize This Country’ For Years To Come

Trump also claimed Cheney “has virtually no support left in the Great State of Wyoming” and “continues to unknowingly and foolishly say that there was no Election Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election when in fact, the evidence, including no Legislative approvals as demanded by the U.S. Constitution, shows the exact opposite.” 

Cheney responded to Trump in an op-ed for the Washington Post on Wednesday, writing “Trump is seeking to unravel critical elements of our constitutional structure that make democracy work — confidence in the result of elections and the rule of law.”

Cheney encouraged Republicans to avoid Trump’s “cult of personality.”

 

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Pelosi Mocks Male Republicans For Not Being Able To Handle Party ‘Girlfriend’ Liz Cheney

As calls grow for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to be ousted from her leadership roles, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is mocking male Republicans for trying to find a “non-threatening woman” to replace her.

Pelosi’s Spoof Ad

Staffers for Pelosi sent out a spoof “help wanted” ad as calls mounted to remove Cheney for her moves against former President Donald Trump, according to Yahoo News.

“Word is out that House GOP Leaders are looking to push Rep. Liz Cheney from her post as House Republican Party Chair – their most senior woman in GOP leadership – for a litany of very Republican reasons: she won’t lie, she isn’t humble enough, she’s like a girlfriend rooting for the wrong team, and more,” the ad stated.

“So what exactly are House GOP Leaders looking for in a #3? Punchbowl AM got the scoop and, well, it’s not surprising … they want a woman who isn’t a ‘threat’ to them,” it continued.

This was a reference to Punchbowl News, which reported on Tuesday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-CA) and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) want Cheney ousted and replaced with someone who is “not relentlessly on message, but also someone who does not pose a threat to them and their power.”

Related: Cheney Says She Will Keep Being Outspoken Against ‘Dangerous’ Trump ‘Cult Of Personality’

McCarthy Sounds Off

While appearing on “Fox & Friends” this week, McCarthy said that some members of the caucus were “concerned” about Cheney’s capacity to do her job as a conference chairwoman.

“There’s no concern about how she voted on impeachment. That decision has been made. I have heard from members concerned about her ability to carry out the job as conference chair – to carry that message,” he said.

Cheney Attacks Trump

Cheney has long been an outspoken critic of Trump, recently saying that “it’s important” that he not run again in 2024.

“I don’t think that that’s going to happen,” Cheney told the Washington Examiner. “And I think it’s important that it not happen, given what he did.”

While she also said that she “certainly would never vote for a Democrat” and she also stated that she does not think Trump “should be president again.”

Read Next: Trump And GOP Leadership Endorse Replacement For Liz Cheney

This piece was written by James Samson on May 6, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Trump And GOP Leadership Endorse Replacement For Liz Cheney

Anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) could face a vote on whether or not she will lose her leadership role in the House as GOP Conference Chair as early as next week.

It’s becoming clear that Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) will be the primary challenger to Cheney for the Conference Chair position.

Stefanik has been calling House GOP members in order to drum up support, and she’s gotten support from the biggest name around.

On Wednesday, Trump officially endorsed Stefanik to replace Cheney as the GOP Conference Chair. 

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi Gives ‘Lynne Cheney’ Praise For ‘Her Courage And Patriotism’

Cheney’s Clash With Republicans

Liz Cheney has been at odds with many of her fellow Republicans since she voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Cheney promptly blamed Trump for the violence, and has stated on a number of occasions that the GOP needs to distance themselves from Trump after Trump continued to claim that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. 

In February, Cheney avoided being removed as Conference Chair position, but was censured by several Republican committees in Wyoming.

She has continued to be outspoken about her opposition to Trump having any sway in the Republican Party.

The dust ups between Cheney and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also began in February.

When asked at a news conference about whether Trump should speak at the annual CPAC conference that was being held the following weekend, McCarthy said, “Yes, he should.”

When the question was posed to Cheney, she stated, “That’s up to CPAC. I’ve been clear on my views about President Trump. I don’t believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country.”  

RELATED: Trump Posts First Video On His Own Communications Platform, Launched After Twitter and Facebook Bans

Cheney’s Views On Trump Could Pave The Way For Stefanik

Liz Cheney’s steadfast opinion that the GOP should have nothing to do with Trump could pave the way for the new school of Republicans. 

But as GOP leaders attempt to unite the party in advance of the 2022 midterms, many are describing Cheney and her comments about Trump to be a “liability.”

House Leader McCarthy was caught on a hot mic Tuesday making the comment that, “I think she’s got real problems. I’ve had it with … I’ve had it with her. You know, I’ve lost confidence.” 

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) is also supporting replacing Cheney with Stefanik. A spokesperson for Scalise stated:

“House Republicans need to be solely focused on taking back the House in 2022 and fighting against Speaker Pelosi and President Biden’s radical socialist agenda, and Elise Stefanik is strongly committed to doing that, which is why Whip Scalise has pledged to support her for Conference Chair.”

Stefanik is a fourth term Congresswoman, representing upstate New York’s 21st district.

RELATED: Trump On 2024: Supporters Will Be ‘Very Happy’ When I Make Announcement

Cheney Getting Support… From Nancy Pelosi

Not everyone is on board with Liz Cheney’s removal from the Conference Chair position.

Utah Senator Mitt Romney came out in support of Cheney on Monday. Romney lauded Cheney as “a person of conscience,” and that “she refuses to lie,” referring to the Capitol riot.

Romney continued, “As one of my Republican Senate colleagues said to me following my impeachment vote: ‘I wouldn’t want to be a member of a group that punished someone for following their conscience.”

But Romney may not be the support Cheney could use. Romney was roundly booed at the Utah GOP convention over the weekend. The convention was attended by more than 2,000 Republican delegates. 

Cheney also received strong support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

While calling her by the wrong name, Pelosi commended Cheney’s “courage” and “patriotism.”

The Republican Party needs to decide one way or the other if Donald Trump has a future with the party. They will find out in 2022 if they made the right decision.

 

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Republicans Start Turning On Marjorie Taylor Greene

Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is facing a growing number of critics from within the Republican party over controversial words and actions she engaged in prior to becoming a congresswoman.

No top Republicans, however, have thus far called for Greene to be punished either with expulsion or censure, nor have they stated she should resign.

CNN reported that in 2019 Greene ‘liked’ controversial comments on social media, including one that said “a bullet to the head would be quicker” in a discussion to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Following that report, a video re-emerged showing Greene harassing anti-gun zealot David Hogg near the Capitol.

RELATED: Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene – I Will File Articles Of Impeachment Against Biden The Day After His Inauguration

Republicans Turn Their Back on Marjorie Taylor Greene

Some Republicans have voiced their concerns over Marjorie Taylor Green’s past which dabbled in Qanon conspiracy theories, liking violent comments, and harassing political opponents.

Michele Exner, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, indicated he would be having a “conversation” with Greene over these comments and actions.

Exner also called the reports on Greene “deeply disturbing.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) described the comments as “repugnant” in a statement to CNN, while Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) condemned them in a statement.

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Democrats Refuse to Condemn Their Own Extreme Rhetoric

The timing of the media attacks against Marjorie Taylor Greene can hardly be ignored.

Last week, on President Joe Biden’s first full day in office, Greene officially filed articles of impeachment in the House of Representatives, as she promised she would.

“President Joe Biden is unfit to hold the office of the Presidency,” she said in a statement. “His pattern of abuse of power as President Obama’s Vice President is lengthy and disturbing.”

None of her accusations are untrue, so the media has instead pivoted to dredging up past controversial statements.

All the while, they allow current extremist rhetoric from Democrats to poison the political well.

Greene liking a comment about using a “bullet” to remove Pelosi from office is indeed reprehensible.

So is accusing Republicans of being the “enemy within,” asserting that Democrat lawmakers are fearful of that “enemy,” as Pelosi herself said.

Or, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) did, inciting violence against Republicans by accusing them of attempted murder.

Or, when Maxine Waters (D-CA) told her followers to accost Republicans at the grocery store.

Or, when Cory Booker (D-NJ) told supporters that they need to “get up in the face” of some members of Congress.

No, those calls to violence are perfectly fine. Democrats will always rally around their own no matter how despicable their past comments or behavior.

Republicans will all-too-willingly throw Marjorie Taylor Greene to the wolves.

The post Republicans Start Turning On Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared first on The Political Insider.

Rand Paul Slams Impeachment ‘Farce’ That ‘Should Be Dismissed’

On Sunday, Senator Rand Paul said in an op-ed that the impeachment process against former President Donald Trump was a “farce” and called for it to be dismissed.  

Paul wrote in his op-ed “Boycott Sham Impeachment” for The Hill, “The Constitution says two things about impeachment — it is a tool to remove the office holder, and it must be presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.”

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Sen. Paul: Trump Not To Blame For Capitol Violence

“If Justice Roberts is not presiding over this, then it is not impeachment,” Paul wrote. “This charade will be nothing more than bitter partisanship and political theater.”

According to Politico, sources in both parties “close to the impeachment trial negotiations,” claimed that Chief Justice Roberts didn’t want a role in the trial and a spokesperson for Supreme Court judge declined to comment to Politico on the matter.

Paul also said a politician merely telling a crowd to “fight to take back your country” doesn’t mean he or she provoked violence, as many have accused Trump of doing in his speech preceding the Capitol Hill attack.

“If we are to blame politicians for the most violent acts of their craziest supporters, then many of my colleagues would face some pretty harsh charges themselves,” Paul said.

Paul Revisits Bernie Supporter Shooting Republican Congressmen

The senator continued, “I’ve been shot at, assaulted and harassed by supporters of the left, including some who directly said the words of politicians moved them to this violence.”

Sen. Paul then brought up the 2017 incident in which a reported Bernie Sanders supporter shot at him and other Republicans on a baseball field while practicing for the annual congressional baseball game.

Paul wrote, “I was there at the ball field when a deranged Bernie Sanders supporter almost killed Steve Scalise and seriously wounded several others.”

“At the time, Democrats were arguing that the GOP plan for health care was ‘you get sick, then they let you die’ Paul said.

“Is it any wonder an insane left-wing gunman took that rhetoric to heart and concluded: ‘If the GOP is going to let me die then maybe I’ll just kill them first?”

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‘This So-Called Impeachment Is A Farce’

Libertarian-leaning Republican Paul then ended his op-ed by denouncing the Trump impeachment as a “farce” that should be stopped.

Paul wrote, “I am more than willing to work with Democrats to find common ground on protecting civil liberties or ending some of our many foreign military interventions, but no unity or common ground will be found while Democrats continue to fight the last election.”

“This so-called impeachment is a farce and should be dismissed before it is even allowed to begin,” Paul ended.

The impeachment trial is scheduled to begin the week of February 8. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier in January that he hasn’t made a decision yet on whether to vote to convict Trump.

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