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


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.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
'Russia's position is fragile'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Starving Gazans overrun US-backed food aid hub
speed read Israeli troops fired warning shots at the Palestinians
-
Israel's Western allies pull back amid Gaza escalation
speed read Britain and the EU are reconsidering allegiance with Israel as the Gaza siege continues
-
Trump drops ceasefire demand after Putin call
speed read Following a phone call with Russia's president, Trump backed off an earlier demand that Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine
-
Pro-EU centrist beats Trump acolyte in Romania vote
speed read The mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, defeated hard-right nationalist George Simion in the race for Romania's presidency
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
Kurdish PKK militia to disband for Turkey talks
speed read The Kurdistan Workers' Party will disarm after four decades of armed conflict with Turkey, putting an end to 'one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East'
-
US, China agree to lower tariffs for 90 days
speed read US tariffs will fall to 30% from 145%, while China will cut its tax on US imports to 10% from 125%
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'