Liz Cheney ousted from GOP leadership role over Trump criticism

By Melissa Macaya, Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani, Veronica Rocha and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 11:02 a.m. ET, May 13, 2021
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9:38 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Cheney was booed in the room when she criticized Trump

From CNN's Annie Grayer

When Rep. Liz Cheney criticized former President Trump in her opening remarks this morning, she was booed, according to a member in the room.

Here's what Cheney said about Trump: 

“We cannot let the former president drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy. Down that path lies our destruction, and potentially the destruction of our country.”
9:40 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

GOP representative defends Cheney after others vote to remove her: "Truth cannot co-exist with lies"

From CNN's Adrienne Vogt

Rep. Adam Kinzinger questions witnesses during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing in Washington, DC on September 16, 2020.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger questions witnesses during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing in Washington, DC on September 16, 2020. Kevin Dietsch/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

After Rep. Liz Cheney was ousted from her GOP leadership position, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he supported her.

"Liz has committed the only sin of being consistent and telling the truth. The truth is that the election was not stolen. 74 million voters were not disenfranchised — they were just outnumbered. And it's important for our party to take inventory of that and go out and win the next election instead of continuing the big lie," he said.

There was a voice vote, Kinzinger said, and “it was definitely not what I expected.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy "said we have to be unified and continue with this whole unity theme," according to Kinzinger. "Look, I'm all for unity. I'm all for unity and truth. Truth cannot co-exist with lies. Truth cannot co-exist with falsehoods. You cannot unify with that."
9:34 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

The vote was quick because members were eager to move on, representative says

From CNN's Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz

According to a source in the room the meeting was extremely brief.

Rep. Liz Cheney addressed the caucus, then Rep. Virginia Foxx offered the motion to have her removed as conference chair. After that, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke briefly and the voice vote was called. 

Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa tells CNN, the vote was quick because members were eager to move on past Cheney.  

“There were a few people who made their presence known,” Hinson said, referencing members who she said booed Cheney during her remarks. 

“We’re ready for a change and I think we accomplished that by approving that resolution today,” she added. 

9:34 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Cheney: "I will do everything I can to ensure" that Trump "never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office"

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

GOP Rep. Liz Cheney spoke to reporters after the vote to oust her from leadership.

She said, "I am absolutely committed, as I said last night, as I said just now to my colleagues, that we must go forward based on truth." 

Cheney continued: "We cannot both embrace the big lie and embrace the constitution. And going forward, the nation needs it. The nation needs a strong Republican party. The nation needs a party that is based upon fundamental principles of conservatism." 

Cheney said she is committed and dedicated to ensuring that that's how the Republican party goes forward.

Ask how concerned she is that Donald Trump might end up back in the Oval Office, Cheney said, "I will do everything I can to ensure that the former President never again gets anywhere near the oval office." 

"We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language. We have seen his lack of commitment and dedication to the constitution. And I think it's very important that we make sure whomever we elect is somebody who will be faithful to the constitution."

Watch:

 

9:28 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Rep. Cheney ousted from GOP leadership post

From CNN's Annie Grayer and Dana Bash

Rep. Liz Cheney was just removed from her position as House GOP conference chair.

There was no debate inside the room, according to members in the room.

A GOP member says Cheney lost by voice vote. “No major drama, anticlimactic, compared to last time." 

According to a source in the room, five people had to stand to request a recorded vote to remove Cheney from the leadership position. Apparently that did not happen, and the gavel came down. 

Cheney told colleagues that it was up to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy whether he wanted a voice vote or not, "and Kevin asked for voice," according to the source. 

9:20 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Rep. Virginia Foxx has made the motion to recall Cheney

From CNN's Annie Grayer

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) speaks at a press conference following a conference meeting at the US Capitol on March 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. 
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) speaks at a press conference following a conference meeting at the US Capitol on March 9, 2021 in Washington, DC.  Win McNamee/Getty Images

According to a member in the room, Rep. Virginia Foxx is the GOP member who made the motion to recall Rep. Liz Cheney, thus formally beginning the process of removing her from the number three spot in the party. 

9:25 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Future of GOP uncertain as Cheney meeting begins

From CNN's Lauren Fox and Daniella Diaz

As Republicans head into the meeting this morning, many say they are ready to move on from the Cheney drama and swiftly move in upcoming days to seat Rep. Elise Stefanik in her place.

Rep. Ashley Hinson told CNN that’s she’s fully supportive and leadership has made it clear Stefanik is their choice. But, there are some outliers.

Rep. Brian Mast said of Cheney this morning: “I think she’s been pretty arrogant”

He also said that Stefanik is not a shoe-in in his mind adding “I ask myself every day why Jim Jordan isn’t on our leadership team.”

CNN then asked Jordan if he wanted to be in leadership, he shook his head “no.”

But Mast argued there needs to be room to discuss who should fill Cheney’s shoes and he doesn’t want to rush that.

Heading into the meeting, it was unclear if there would be much discussion about who would replace Cheney this morning.

Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus who has voiced concerns about quickly installing Stefanik, said he might speak during the GOP conference and “we’ll see what unfolds” during the meeting.

“We’ll see what happens today,” he said while walking in.

Rep. Scott Perry also said he may speak in the meeting. 

9:22 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

Read Cheney’s remarks to members this morning ahead of vote to oust her from leadership

From CNN's Manu Raju

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

A source familiar with her comments said Rep. Liz Cheney told members this morning at the top of the meeting:

"I am going to take a moment of personal privilege and then we will have the prayer and pledge.

I have tremendous affection and admiration for many of you in this room. I know we all came to Washington to do important work for the nation. History has chosen every single one of us. And history has put us here together at this moment of challenge for our country.

Our nation needs this Republican Party as a strong party based on truth so we can shape the future.

To do that, we must be true to our principles and to the constitution. We cannot let the former president drag us backward and make us complicit in his efforts to unravel our democracy. Down that path lies our destruction, and potentially the destruction of our country.

If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person, you have plenty of others to choose from. That will be their legacy.

But I promise you this, after today, I will be leading the fight to restore our party and our nation to conservative principles, to defeating socialism, to defending our republic, to making the GOP worthy again of being the party of Lincoln.

Let us pray,

'Dear God, Fill us with a love of freedom and a reverence for all your gifts. Help us to understand the gravity of this moment. Help us to remember that democratic systems can fray and suddenly unravel. When they do, they are gone forever.

Help us to speak the truth and remember the words of John 8:32 – Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

May our world see the power of faith. May our nation know the strength of selfless service. And may our enemies continue to taste the inescapable force of freedom.

In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.'"

9:23 a.m. ET, May 12, 2021

NOW: House GOP conference meets to vote on Cheney's leadership role. Here are key things to know. 

From CNN's Alex Rogers

J. Scott Applewhite/AP
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Rep. Liz Cheney is expected to lose her post in the House Republican leadership today after publicly rejecting for months former President Trump's lie that he won the 2020 presidential election.

The GOP conference is meeting right now. Any leadership vote is a secret ballot cast behind closed doors.

House Republicans are likely to replace her with New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has a less conservative voting record than Cheney but has emerged as one of Trump's top defenders. Cheney defended herself in a speech on Tuesday evening.

"We must speak the truth," Cheney said. "Our election was not stolen. And America has not failed."

Cheney defended her previous remarks as well as her conservative credentials amid criticism from Trump's allies in her conference who refused to accept the outcome of the election.

Despite her feud with Trump, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted in early February to keep Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican.

But a few weeks later, her renunciation of Trump drew a stark contrast with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had traveled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort after saying that Trump bore responsibility for the attack on the Capitol in January, and supporting Cheney in her leadership vote in February.

When asked by a reporter if Trump should speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, McCarthy said "yes," while Cheney said, "I don't believe that he should be playing a role in the future of the party or the country."

Read more about today's expected vote here.