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Cover news reporter Chen Ganlu intern Liu Hanyu
According to a number of US media reports, on May 12, local time, Republicans in the US House of Representatives voted by word of mouth to remove Liz Cheney, the third person in the House of Representatives, from the chairmanship of the House Republican Meeting. Although there is no public reason for the recall, analysts say the move "paves the way" for former President Trump's next political move.
Closed-door meetings
Closed-door voting, there is a shady scene?
Cheney, 54, is the daughter of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. She began serving as a U.S. member of the House of Representatives from Wyoming in 2017 and was elected president of the House Republican Conference in November 2018. She is known to be a staunch "Trump opponent."
On the same day, House Republicans held a closed-door meeting and completed the recall in just 16 minutes. Moreover, Cheney was removed by oral vote, not by secret ballot, which is not in keeping with the usual rules of caucus meetings. In his speech before the vote, Cheney said, "The former president cannot be allowed to drag our party down and make us all accomplices in his destruction of democracy." If this continues, it will threaten to bring about the destruction of our country. ”
Cheney's defenders said the vote for Cheney's ouster was too fast and merely showed "false unity." The meeting that decided the fate of House Republican Leader Liz Cheney lasted only a few minutes. The brevity of the meeting pleased some members, but also made others angry.
Rep. Adam Kinsinger, Republican of Illinois, who is a supporter of Cheney, later said, "Someone is ready to fight for her." There are a lot of people who want to defend Liz, but those who want to defend her don't realize they have little chance of doing so. ”
After Cheney was ousted, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also expressed her opinion, arguing that "Cheney is a brave, patriotic, and upright leader." The move to remove Cheney suggests that such qualities are no longer popular within the Republican Party. ”
Oppose Trump again before the recall
Ahead of a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, Cheney reiterated to reporters gathered outside the room what he had been saying for weeks: "We must move forward on the basis of facts." We cannot accept both the big lie and the Constitution. ”
What Cheney is calling a "big lie" is former President Donald Trump's baseless claim that November's election was stolen.
Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Barker told reporters after the meeting that after Cheney's speech, some members of the caucus stood up and applauded in support. She countered Trump's "big lie" about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which led her to part ways with other Republicans such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican. They remain loyal to the former president and his baseless assertions about electoral fraud.
In a heated speech, Cheney said "I'm not going to sit idly by" and called Trump a threat.
Democrats have a slim majority in both houses, while Republicans are eager to get seats in 2022 to regain majorities in both houses. Multiple Republican lawmakers believe that Cheney's problem is not that she "has an opinion" about Trump, but that she insists on public criticism, which undermines party unity.
Trump comments Cheney is "harmful"
After House Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from her House Republican leadership position, former President Donald Trump denounced her as "harmful to the Republican Party." "She's an issue for Democrats, whether that means borders, gas pipelines, inflation, or destroying our economy," he said in a statement. Prior to the meeting, Trump had urged Republicans to demote her.
Last week, Trump slammed Cheney in a separate statement as a "belligerent fool with nothing to do with the Republican leadership." "We want leaders to believe in the 'Make America Great' movement and to put the values of 'America First' first," the former president said.
After his ouster, Liz Cheney said: "We must move forward on the basis of the truth. We cannot support the Constitution while supporting the big lie. She did not say whether she would remain in the House, but said she would do everything in her power to ensure that Trump "can no longer approach the (White House) Oval Office." Still, many analysts believe that Cheney's removal formally prepares for a unified Republican voice that fully supports Trump's return.
Currently, there is news that Cheney's position may be replaced by Rep. Alice Stephannick. Stephannick, 36, has represented a new district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015. She was initially a critic of Trump, but has been a staunch supporter of Trump for more than two years, supporting lawsuits aimed at overturning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
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