Liz Cheney Sets Sights On Trump In New Hampshire
Liz Cheney Sets Sights On Trump In New Hampshire TV Ad, Fueling ’24 Speculation
Then-Rep. Liz Cheney signaled that she was not done with politics after being heavily defeated in the GOP primary in her home state of Wyoming last August by a rival who had the support of former President Donald Trump.
Since then, rumors that she will run against Trump, who has always been and still is the overwhelming favorite to win the party’s presidential nominee next year, have circulated, much of it fueled by her.
The strongest indication yet that Cheney will seek the party’s candidacy appeared this week in the shape of a television advertisement criticizing Trump in the early primary state of New Hampshire, according to NBC News.
The ad warns of a “risk” of a second Trump presidency, though by most measures, in comparison to President Joe Biden’s term, Trump’s was a resounding success in terms of Republican policy accomplishments.
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“Donald Trump is a risk America can never take again,” Cheney says as she narrates the 60-second ad that was paid for by her organization, Great Task PAC.
Not surprisingly, the ad contains footage of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, in which Cheney says: “Donald Trump is the only president in American history who has refused to guarantee the peaceful transfer of power … There has never been a greater dereliction of duty by any president.”
The majority of Republicans in the House at the time opposed Cheney’s contentious decision to serve as vice chair on a Democratic-led Jan. 6 Committee, which was perceived solely as a political tool against her party. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, the only other GOP member who sat on it, left in January after it became clear he would not be reelected.
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The ad will run during the former president’s televised town hall on Wednesday at Saint Anselm College, which is situated outside Manchester, in New Hampshire, the first state to hold Republican primaries, according to NBC News.
The town hall will be broadcast on CNN, and the co-host of the morning show Kaitlin Collins will moderate it.
Cheney, the former No. 3 Republican in the House, lost her position as party leader in 2021 as a result of her constant criticism of Trump, including her vote to remove him from office in January of that year. She lost her position in 2022 to a candidate favored by Trump in the primary, now-Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.).
In her concession address after losing the primary in August, Cheney highlighted her ongoing efforts to stop a potential electoral return by Trump.
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“This fight is not over — it may take many years,” Cheney said. “For anyone wondering about my own future, let me say this: I will do everything in my power to make sure Donald Trump is never again near the Oval Office.”
Cheney announced last month that she will release a memoir in November called “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.” In addition, she has taken a teaching position at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics as a professor of practice.
In an interview with BC Heights published last week, Cheney immediately turned to attack Trump after bringing up the riot: “I believed he needed to be removed from office immediately.”
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After calling Trump the “most dangerous domestic threat” and claiming Americans must “take great care in whom we entrust with power,” Cheney said “We’ll see what happens” when asked about possibly leaving the Republican Party.
Cheney’s remarks coincide with a recent poll that revealed her support had risen since Trump’s indictment, potentially upending the GOP primary for 2024.
Cheney increased from 5% to 10% after the news of Trump’s indictment came late last week. In the most recent Trafalgar Group poll of Republican voters, she is currently in third position behind Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has dropped from 32% to 22% support.
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