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Top House Republican Says He Backs Ousting Cheney From No. 3 Job

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy on Sunday publicly
   endorsed Rep. EliseStefanikfor the post of No. 3 leader, cementing
   party support of the Donald Trump loyalist over Rep. Liz Cheney, an
   outspoken critic of the former president for promoting
   discreditedclaims thatthe 2020 election was stolen.

   House Republicans could vote as early as Wednesday to remove Cheney,
   the highest-ranking woman in the Republican leadership and daughter of
   former Vice President Dick Cheney, and replace her withStefanik, whose
   ascension has received Trump's backing.

   Asked in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures"
   whether he supportedStefanik, R-N.Y., for the job of Republican
   Conference chair, McCarthy responded: "Yes, I do."

   "We want to be united in moving forward, and I think that is what will
   take place," he said in response to a question about whether he had the
   votes to oust Cheney, R-Wyo.

   McCarthy said the leadership post must focus on a message "day in and
   day out" on what he said were the problems of the Biden administration.
   FILE - Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the House Republican Conference chair,
   speaks with reporters following a GOP strategy session on Capitol Hill
   in Washington, April 20, 2021.

   Cheney has taken on Republicans, including McCarthy, R-Calif., sayingon
   Twitter thatthose who indulge Trump's false claims of a stolen
   presidential election are "spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on
   the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system." In an opinion
   essay Wednesday in The Washington Post, she denounced the "dangerous
   and anti-democratic Trump cult of personality," and warned her
   fellowRepublicans against embracing or ignoring his statements "for
   fundraising and political purposes."

   She also said McCarthy had "changed his story" after initially saying
   Trump "bears responsibility" for the January6 attack on the Capitol.
   McCarthy initially criticized Trump's actions, and in a private call
   during the insurrection, hadreportedlyurged the then-president to call
   off the rioters. The GOP leader now says he does not believe Trump
   provoked the riot.

   McCarthysaid thatefforts byRepublicans to remove Cheneyarenotbased on
   her views of Trump orher voteto impeach Trump over the January6 riot.
   He said she was distracting from Republicans' bid to win back the House
   in 2022 and successfully oppose President Joe Biden's agenda, goals
   that McCarthy believes will need Trump's support.

   McCarthy complained last week that he had "lost confidence" in Cheney
   and "had it with her" over her continuing remarks about Trump,
   according to a leaked recording of his exchange on "Fox and Friends."

   Cheney has a more conservative voting record in the House thanStefanik,
   a onetime Trump critic who evolved into an ardent ally. She previously
   opposed Trump's tax cuts.

   "You have this real battle right now in the party, this idea of let's
   just put our differences aside and be unified," said Rep.
   AdamKinzinger, R-Ill., who also voted to impeach Trump. "They're going
   to get rid of Liz Cheney because they'd much rather pretend that the
   conspiracy is either real or not confront it than to actually confront
   it and maybe have to take the temporary licks to save this party and in
   the long term this country," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

   The second-ranking House Republican leader, Rep. SteveScaliseof
   Louisiana,has announced his support forStefanik.

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