Matt Gaetz to rally Trump faithful to boost MAGA backlash in Liz Cheney’s backyard
“I have a competing vision for Republicanism,” Gaetz told reporters this week. “I believe that we ought to embrace the spirit and style of President Trump.”
“There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” the Wyoming Republican said.
“Our telephone has not stopped ringing, our email is filling up, and our website has seen more traffic than at any previous time,” the statement said. “The consensus is clear that those who are reaching out to the Party vehemently disagree with Representative Cheney’s decision and actions.”
Gaetz said that Cheney’s “principal job” is to “carry the message” of her fellow House Republicans.
“Most of the members of the Republican conference don’t believe that Liz Cheney speaks for them,” he said.
A source in Cheney’s office dismissed Gaetz’s event as a publicity stunt. The source said that “Rep. Gaetz can leave his beauty bag at home. In Wyoming, the men don’t wear make-up.” The source linked to a video of Gaetz talking about putting make up on for a television appearance.
“Wyoming doesn’t like it when outsiders come into our state and try to tell us what to do,” said Amy Edmonds, a former state legislator and Cheney’s former communications director.
Gaetz said the only conversation he has had with McCarthy about his efforts to oust Cheney was after a recent television interview, when McCarthy asked him to stop referring to Cheney and others he was disagreeing with by name in light of the increase in death threats against members of Congress.
“I subsided referencing folks by name for about a day or two,” said Gaetz. “But after Liz became more, I think, problematic in her divergence from the perspective of the conference, it became untenable not to identify her as the key internal resistance within the Republican party to the American First Vision.”
Wyoming political observers said that Cheney, the daughter of the former Vice President Dick Cheney, would beat back the critical clamor.
“There’s going to be pushback but I don’t think it’s anything she can’t survive,” said Wyoming University political science professor Jim King.