On Tuesday, Liz Cheney conceded defeat in the Wyoming Republican House primary to Harriet Hageman, her Donald Trump-endorsed opponent.
Cheney had emerged as one of the most prominent anti-Trump Republicans, voting to impeach the then president following the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, then serving as vice-chair of the House committee investigating the attack.
Of the 10 House Republican members who voted to impeach Trump, eight will not be running on the GOP ticket in November, with four having retired and another four, including Cheney, losing primary battles.
After admitting her defeat, Cheney delivered a powerful concession speech to her supporters. Here are the top five takeaways and warnings from her address.
Hints at Possible 2024 Presidential Bid
Cheney did nothing to dampen rumors she could run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, stating: "This primary election is over but now the real work begins."
The outspoken Republican said: "I will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office."
When asked in July if she could run for the presidency, on ABC News' This Week, Cheney left the possibility open, commenting: "I haven't made a decision about that yet."
Seemed To Compare Herself to Lincoln
Cheney pointedly noted Abraham Lincoln also suffered electoral defeats, before becoming president and winning the Civil War.
She said: "The great and original champion of our party, Abraham Lincoln, was defeated in elections for the Senate and the House before he won the most important election of all. Lincoln ultimately prevailed, he saved our Union and he defined our obligation as Americans for all of history."
The apparent comparison with one of the GOP's most iconic presidents sparked fury from Trump supporters on social media.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted: "A clear message is being sent about what the Republican Party needs to be. It's not anything like liar Liz Cheney, who is nothing like Abraham Lincoln."
Donald Trump Jr. said: "Liz Cheney really compared herself to Lincoln… LMFAO. That CNN & MSDNC fluffing really got to her carpetbagger/warmonger head."
Warns That January 6 Rhetoric Is 'Happening Again'
Cheney warned America risks a repeat of the violence of January 6, criticizing Trump for his rhetoric following last week's FBI raid of his Florida Mar-a-Lago residence.
She accused Trump of promoting "conspiracies" that "will provoke violence and threats of violence."
Cheney said: "This happened on January 6, and it's now happening again. It is entirely foreseeable that the violence will escalate further, yet he and others continue purposely to feed the danger.
"Today, our federal law enforcement is being threatened, a federal judge is being threatened. Fresh threats of violence arise everywhere. And despite knowing all of this, Donald Trump recently released the names of the FBI agents involved in the search."
Concedes—Pointedly—to Hagerman
After thanking her supporters, Cheney made it very clear she was conceding the race to Hageman, in an implicit attack on Trump for refusing to say he lost the 2020 presidential election.
She commented: "Our republic relies upon the goodwill of all candidates for office to accept honorably the outcome of elections. And tonight, Harriet Hageman has received the most votes in this primary. She won. I called her to concede the race."
Slams 'Insidious Lie' FBI Planted Evidence at Mar-a-Lago
Cheney savaged the conspiracy theory, being spread by some prominent Trump supporters, that the FBI might have planted evidence during their Mar-a-Lago raid.
Discussing pro-Trump conspiracy theories she said: "To believe Donald Trump's election lies, you must believe that dozens of federal and state courts who ruled against him, including many judges he appointed, were all corrupted and biased, that all manner of crazy conspiracy theories stole our election from us and that Donald Trump actually remains president today.
"As of last week, you must also believe that 30 career FBI agents, who have spent their lives working to serve our country, abandoned their honor and their oath and went to Mar-a-Lago, not to perform a lawful search or address a national security threat, but instead with a secret plan to plant fake incriminating documents in the boxes they seized. This is yet another insidious lie."
Uncommon Knowledge
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About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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