During her Sunday appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) made quite the memorable remarks, as she did not rule out a presidential run in 2024.
Towards the end of her segment, host Jake Tapper reminded Cheney that "you have made it very clear you don't think Donald Trump should ever be trusted with the presidency again." Earlier in the segment, the congresswoman had warned that "I think, with respect to Donald Trump, as I said, he can never be anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again." This prompted Tapper to ultimately ask Cheney if she was "willing to run for president to try to stop him, at least in part?"
Rep. Liz Cheney doesn't rule out a 2024 presidential run: "I have not made a decision about 2024, and I am really very focused on the substance of what we have to do on select committee, very focused on the work that I have to do to represent the people of Wyoming." pic.twitter.com/isJKkNEtYx
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 24, 2022
Cheney responded that "I haven't really -- at this point, I have not made a decision about 2024," which is not ruling out such a run. She's also raised speculation before that she might be interested in running. "And I am really very focused on the substance of what we have to do on the Select Committee, very focused on the work that I have to do to represent the people of Wyoming. And I will make a decision about 2024 down the road," she went on to say.
Such remarks from the congresswoman are almost laughable, as she's faring terribly in the polls. The latest, from the Casper-Star Tribune, shows her with 30 percent support compared to Harriet Hageman's 52 percent. Hageman, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, has consistently been polling ahead by double digits, and has most of her donations coming from Wyoming. Cheney, while she leads overall in fundraising, has most of her donations coming in from out of state.
Further, Cheney doesn't seem to care much for Wyoming voters anymore, as she's made it a point to not attend state events there, and has dismissed it by saying "I’m not going to convince the crazies and I reject the crazies," also condemning Wyoming state party leadership.
Tapper also pointed out during the segment that "Trump and a bunch of those House Republican leaders are trying to get you defeated in your primary, your Republican primary, in August." As he listed some examples of those campaigning against Cheney, such as Bill Stepien and Tim Murtaugh, Tapper sympathetically pointed out to Cheney that "that must be really strange for you."
It was in response that Cheney made more claims about how she's courting the vote in Wyoming, while Tapper continued to turn her into a martyr:
CHENEY: I mean, look, it is. It's a highly unusual moment certainly in American politics.
And I am working hard here in Wyoming to earn every vote. But I will also say this. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say things that aren't true about the election. My opponents are doing that, certainly simply for the purpose of getting elected.
And, Jake, if I have to choose between maintaining a seat in the House of Representatives or protecting the constitutional republic and ensuring the American people know the truth about Donald Trump, I'm going to choose the Constitution and the truth every single day.
And so, as I said, I'm fighting hard. No matter what happens on August 16, I'm going to wake up on August 17 and continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again.
TAPPER: If you end up losing your job in Congress because of your work on this committee, it will have been worth it to you?
CHENEY: There's no question.
I believe that my work on this committee is the single most important thing I have ever done professionally. It is an unbelievable honor to represent the people of Wyoming in Congress. And I know that all of us who are elected officials take an oath that we swear under God to the Constitution. And that oath has to mean something.
And that oath means that we cannot embrace and enable a president as dangerous as Donald Trump is. And my obligations and my responsibilities on this committee are to ensure that we understand exactly what happens, so that we can establish legislation and recommendations to help ensure it never happens again.
It's indeed looking as if Cheney could lose her seat due to her participation on the select committee. She was picked not by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), but by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as was Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), the only other Republican on the select committee.
That same Casper-Star Tribune poll found that 64 percent disapprove of "Liz Cheney's decision to serve on the Jan. 6 committee," and 54 percent said it made them less likely to vote for her. When asked if "Liz Cheney's opposition to Trump affected her ability to deal with the important Wyoming issues," 61 percent said it did.
Cheney isn't the only vulnerable member on the select committee. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) is also retiring, rather than lose. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) is running for re-election, but is facing a tough race, which is not helped by her presence on the select committee. Kinzinger would have likely lost had he chosen to run again, but is retiring, after having his seat pretty much redistricted away by Illinois Democrats. Like Cheney, he too may run for president in 2024.
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