Political | Process

“The path was clear. But it would have required that I go along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election. It would have required that I enable his ongoing efforts to unravel our democratic system and attack the foundations of our republic,” she said. “That is a path I could not and would not take.”

Cheney, whose next steps have been a topic of much speculation among political watchers, also hinted that she will continue to combat Trump’s falsehoods about the election.

“Tonight, Harriet Hageman received the most votes in this primary. She won. I called her to concede the race. This primary election is over. But now, the real work begins,” Cheney said.

Hageman, in contrast, thanked Trump in her victory speech. “His clear and unwavering support from the very beginning propelled us to victory tonight,” she said.

Cheney’s seat in Congress had appeared much more secure until fairly recently. The daughter of a former vice president, Liz Cheney had been the No. 3-ranking Republican in the House and had easily won her last election in 2020.

Things changed after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, when a violent mob of Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee their chambers and delaying their efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

Members of the mob believed the then-president’s false claims that his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. Trump continues to spread election conspiracy theories and falsely assert the election was rigged.

Cheney voted to impeach Trump for inciting the riot, making her one of just 10 House Republicans to do so. The vote put a target on all their backs: Trump has worked to purge them and other Republicans he saw as insufficiently loyal. With Cheney’s ouster, eight of the 10 pro-impeachment Republicans have since either lost reelection bids or announced their retirements from Congress.

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