Her allies mentioned that makes an attempt to punish her have been counterproductive at a time when the get together ought to be united in opposition to Democratic management of Washington.
“The beneficiaries of Republican fratricide are Democrats,” mentioned Karl Rove, the previous Bush strategist, who’s near the Cheney household. “So the extra now we have purity exams and everybody has to suppose and act alike, significantly relating to former President Trump, it’s solely serving to Democrats.”
However a lot of her constituents see no drawback with making an instance of her.
A rally outdoors the State Capitol final week headlined by Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman and Trump loyalist, drew a number of hundred folks. They chanted “No extra Cheney!” and cheered as Mr. Gaetz ripped into “By no means Trump” Republicans, calling them relics from a celebration that Mr. Trump has reworked from its days beneath the management of the Bushes and Ms. Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney.
“We management the true spirit and identification of America,” mentioned Mr. Gaetz, who’s main the hassle to oust Ms. Cheney from the Home management.
After his speech, Teresa Kunkel, a retired state worker, mentioned that she had attended the rally as a result of, as a Christian, she didn’t consider Ms. Cheney was being an sincere consultant for Wyoming. “She didn’t symbolize what we voted for,” Ms. Kunkel mentioned. “She betrayed us — large time.”
The second impeachment of Mr. Trump final month, which Ms. Cheney supported, was an injustice, Ms. Kunkel added. “It’s like: ‘I didn’t like what you probably did, so that you’re out. And we’re within the majority, so we are able to try this.’ That’s cancel tradition,” she mentioned.