Kevin McCarthy endorses top Liz Cheney challenger in Wyoming House race

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has officially endorsed attorney Harriet Hageman, the top challenger to incumbent GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, in the race for Wyoming's one and only House seat, The Federalist reports Thursday.
"After spending time with Harriet, it is readily apparent she will always listen and prioritize the needs of her local communities and is focused on tackling our nation's biggest problems," McCarthy told the Federalist. "I look forward to serving with Harriet for years to come."
In backing Hageman (who also has the support of notable Cheney-hater former President Donald Trump), McCarthy is not only taking his denouncement of the Wyoming lawmaker to the next level, he's breaking with typical party protocol, CNN notes, given "GOP leaders in the House have long had a posture of neutrality in primaries."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cheney has been quite viciously alienated from her party, for both her service on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and her vocal criticism of Trump. In May, for instance, she was ousted from her House leadership position. And earlier this month, the Republican National Committee voted to formally censure both her and fellow GOP Trump-critic-turned-Jan. 6-committee-member Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their work in investigating the riot.
With McCarthy's support of Hageman now out in the open, "other members of the GOP conference" can "openly support Cheney's primary challenger with the blessing of leadership," the Federalist writes.
An official statement should come from Team McCarthy around 6 p.m. per Bloomberg News' Billy House.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Hospital league tables: how does the new ranking system work?
The Explainer NHS trusts are now ranked according to six performance indicators, with leaders of low-performing facilities facing penalties
-
Quiz of The Week: 6 – 12 September
Quiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The week’s best photos
In Pictures A palace on fire, a shopping cart protest, and more
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants