Kevin McCarthy endorses Liz Cheney’s primary opponent

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made an unusual endorsement for a party leader Thursday, backing Republican attorney Harriet Hageman, the primary opponent of incumbent Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

The move came almost two weeks after the Republican National Committee censured Ms. Cheney over her participation as one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot.

“I am proud to endorse Harriet Hageman for Congress. Raised on a family ranch outside of Fort Laramie, Harriet and her family have resided in Wyoming for generations,” Mr. McCarthy said in a statement to The Washington Times.

“I look forward to welcoming Harriet to a Republican majority next Congress, where together, we will hold the Biden Administration accountable and deliver much-needed solutions for the American people,” he added.

Both parties’ congressional leaders usually endorse incumbents and almost always maintain neutrality otherwise, in the interest of keeping a harmonious party caucus.

Mr. McCarthy took a subtle hit at Ms. Cheney, saying at one point during his praise of Ms. Hageman that the “most successful Representatives in Congress focus on the needs of their constituents.”

The Cheney campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.

Ms. Cheney has been at odds with members of her party on Capitol Hill and in Wyoming since she openly blasted former President Donald Trump in remarks on the House floor defending her vote to impeach Mr. Trump in 2021. She blamed Mr. Trump for inciting the attack on the Capitol by his supporters.

After the impeachment, GOP House lawmakers voted to remove her from her leadership post as conference chair, and Wyoming party officials voted not to recognize her as a party member.

The rift between Ms. Cheney and Republicans grew further after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, rejected in July Mr. McCarthy’s choices as members of the newly established Jan 6. committee.

Mrs. Pelosi instead appointed Ms. Cheney and fellow anti-Trump Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois to join seven Democrats to investigate the origins of the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol.

Since then, the panel has primarily scrutinized Republican lawmakers, former Trump administration officials, and other GOP-affiliated figures causing Republican Party members to question Ms. Cheney’s loyalty.

Although Ms. Cheney is struggling in popularity among local Republicans in the state’s at-large congressional district, she has raised an enormous amount of money for her reelection bid with over $4.7 million cash on hand, according to federal election records.

Ms. Hageman has the backing of the RNC, which considered a resolution to support her candidacy against Ms. Cheney financially.

However, she must contend with whether Wyoming election law forbids her to accept it.