Aug 15, 2022 - Politics & Policy

McCarthy: Cheney's potential primary defeat a "referendum" on Jan. 6 panel

Shawna Chen

Photo of Liz Cheney speaking from a podium as Kevin McCarthy watches from behind her — Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) speaks during a news conference with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republican members of the House at the Capitol on July 21, 2020. Photo: Samuel Corum via Getty Images

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News on Monday that Rep. Liz Cheney's Wyoming GOP primary election Tuesday is "going to be a referendum on the Jan. 6 committee."

Driving the news: Trump ally McCarthy has endorsed the top challenger of Cheney, vice chair of the select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection. Her Trump-backed rival Harriet Hageman is polling nearly 30 points ahead, per a recent survey from the University of Wyoming.

What he's saying: McCarthy told Fox News that Cheney hasn't really been focused on the needs of her state or constituents, choosing instead to home in on the select committee and target "one individual."

"I don't think that she’s going to win," McCarthy said.
He added that Republicans would win back the House majority, "and I'll be Speaker."

Reality check: Cheney's political career and fight against former President Trump appear unlikely to end even if she loses her bid for re-election, Axios' Julia Shapero writes.

Wyoming's population also does not reflect the U.S. population more broadly.

By the numbers: 50% of Americans said they viewed Trump unfavorably in a recent Monmouth University poll, which also found that the Jan. 6 committee hearings largely haven't changed public opinion on Trump.

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McCarthy: Cheney's potential primary defeat a "referendum" on Jan. 6 panel

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