Liz Cheney: 5 Things To Know About GOP Rep. Ousted From House Leadership After Speaking Out Against Trump

Rep. Liz Cheney is no longer Chair of the House Republican Conference after her outspoken criticism of Trump and his ‘Big Lie’ about the election. Learn more about her.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) was just ousted from a top leadership position in the House by her own party. Cheney isn’t letting it go. The three-term congresswoman, 54, is lashing out at her fellow lawmakers who are still bowing at former President Donald Trump‘s feet and warning them that they’ll doom our democracy. Here’s what else you need to know about Rep. Cheney:

1. She Was The Chair of the House Republican Conference

Cheney held the third-highest leadership position for Republicans in the House of Representatives since 2019. Her “competency” came into question when she started vocalizing her criticism of former President Donald Trump for his repeated “Big Lie” about election fraud and his role in the Capitol siege. After Cheney voted with Democrats to impeach Trump in January, a pro-Trump faction of the House, including Minority Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), called for her removal from the chairmanship. A House committee voted behind closed doors to oust Cheney on May 12.

"We cannot be dragged backward by the very dangerous lies of a former president."

Rep. Liz Cheney delivered remarks shortly after being ousted from House GOP leadership amid criticism of former Pres. Trump. https://t.co/alrE7kblYd pic.twitter.com/7L2QP7npYU

— ABC News (@ABC) May 13, 2021

2. She Warned Fellow Reps. About Trump In Her Final Speech

During the closed-door meeting to oust Cheney from House leadership, a source told ABC News that Cheney urged her colleagues not to let Trump make the GOP “complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy.” Cheney said:

“Our nation needs this Republican Party as a strong party based on truth so we can shape the future. To do that, we must be true to our principles and to the Constitution. We cannot let the former president drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy. Down that path lies our destruction, and potentially the destruction of our country. If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person, you have plenty of others to choose from. That will be their legacy.”

3. She Has Support From Both Prominent Democrats & Republicans

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the ouster, “Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity. Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party. The Republican denial of the truth presented by Congresswoman Cheney is reflected in their denial of the need to seek the truth in a January 6th commission and to repair the damage of January 6th with a security supplemental immediately.”

4. Her Father Is Former VP Dick Cheney

Rep. Cheney is the eldest daughter of Dick Cheney, who served as vice president under former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. In the House of Representatives, she holds the same seat her father once occupied as Wyoming’s congressman from 1979 to 1989.

5. Some Think She Could Lead A 3rd Party

With Trump’s grasp on the Republican party now clearer more than ever, some politicos are wondering if a fractured GOP could lead to a major third political party. With Cheney the loudest and highest-ranking opponent of Trump, she would be a natural leader. She almost outright vowed to do that in her last speech before her May 12 ouster: “I promise you this, after today, I will be leading the fight to restore our party and our nation to conservative principles, to defeating socialism, to defending our republic, to making the GOP worthy again of being the party of Lincoln.”