President George W. Bush will host a fundraiser for Representative Liz Cheney.
Cheney, who has fallen from influence among some of Washington’s Republican leadership, is being challenged by Harriet Hageman for Wyoming’s only House seat.
Hageman has been backed by President Trump, who called Cheney a “warmonger and disloyal Republican” during his endorsement.
“Harriet is all in for America First. Harriet has my Complete and Total Endorsement in replacing the Democrats [sic] number one provider of sound bites, Liz Cheney. Make America Great Again!” President Trump said in his statement.
“Trump has aggressively targeted Cheney ever since she voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly Capitol riot in January and repeatedly condemned his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Cheney accused Trump and his allies of ‘poisoning our democratic system,’ urged her party to reject what she called ‘the dangerous and anti-democratic Trump cult of personality,’ and broke from most of her GOP colleagues in supporting a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot,” per Business Insider.
Cheney was subsequently stripped of the No. 3 leadership position with the party.
According to Fox News, “Cheney has been very vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation’s democratic process, and in May gave a well-covered speech in the House chamber about putting love and defense of the country above partisan politics. She’s currently one of only two Republicans serving on a special committee organized by House Democrats to investigate the insurrection at the Capitol.”
The fundraiser adds to the tension between the 43rd and 45th presidents of the United States.
Bush gave a speech on Sept. 11 that alluded to the January 6 protestors.
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home,” he said. “But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.”
Trump released a statement on Sept. 13 saying, “The World Trade Center came down during his watch. Bush led a failed and uninspiring presidency. He shouldn’t be lecturing anybody!”
Karl Rove, Bush’s longtime political adviser, and former Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison are both set to attend the Dallas fundraiser this October.
Cheney is the daughter of Dick Cheney, who served as Bush’s vice president for two terms.
