Former President Donald Trump is gearing up to hold a rally with a slew of his GOP congressional allies in an effort to oust one of his most high-profile Republican critics, Rep. Liz Cheney, in Casper, Wyoming, on Saturday.
His appearance in the state comes just after Cheney, a member of the Jan. 6 select committee who has been vocal in her calls for the party to separate from Trump, filed for reelection.
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In addition to Cheney’s GOP primary challenger, attorney Harriet Hageman, the rally is expected to feature former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Kat Cammack (R-FL) in addition to video addresses by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and House Judiciary ranking member Jim Jordan (R-OH), who have all voiced support for Hageman in the race.
The rally is the latest effort by Trump to take aim at Cheney, whom he has made one of his top targets following her vote to impeach him and decided to join the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.
The Wyoming Republican was removed from her leadership role, which entailed leading messaging efforts, by her GOP colleagues last year after a group of conservatives pushed for her ouster, citing her unwavering rebuke of Trump and his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
While Cheney has come under fire from members of her caucus and faced censure from the Republican National Committee and the Wyoming GOP for her break with Trump, she has not backed down from her position.
“When I know something is wrong, I will say so,” she said in her video announcing that she is seeking reelection. “I won’t waver or back down. I won’t surrender to pressure or intimidation. I know where to draw the line, and I know that some things aren’t for sale.”
While Trump continued his efforts to take aim at Cheney, the congresswoman is temporarily sidelined from the campaign trail after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Polling from her challenger shows the congresswoman trailing with the GOP voter base, but the Cheney camp is hopeful the recent losses of Trump-endorsed candidates in Georgia signal that his influence may be waning.
Cheney had expressed interest in potentially running for president in 2024, teeing up a showdown with Trump for the Republican nomination.
The primary is slated to take place on Aug. 16.
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