Liz Cheney's 'political capital has risen significantly' after blaming Trump for riot, colleague says

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

last updated 9 January 2021

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was the only one of the GOP's top three House leaders to directly condemn President Trump's rhetoric and behavior associated with the deadly Capitol riot this week. Because of that, one of her Republican colleagues told Politico on condition of anonymity, she's been the recipient of some good will in the lower chamber. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) are facing scrutiny, Politico reports.

This isn't the first time Cheney has criticized Trump openly, but in the past her comments rattled the president's loyalists, and some of them even reportedly discussed recruiting someone to challenge her for conference chair, Politico notes. The opposite reaction seems to be gaining some steam this time around, however. "People are going to be looking at this moment when they look back at who is going to lead the party," the same lawmaker said. "[Cheney's] political capital has risen significantly. She had the courage of her convictions."

McCarthy and Scalise did come out against the violence displayed at the Capitol, though they were more careful about tying Trump to the incident. There's no reason to think their standing within the party will take an immediate hit, but one Republican lawmaker said the pair's reaction was "troublesome" and "they did not catch the moment." Ultimately, the lawmaker told Politico, "there's a little bit of anger, but a lot of disappointment," which, many people learn during their youth, is often worse. Read more at Politico.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.