'A fringe group has taken over our party': Wyoming lawmaker rips into local GOP leadership on CNN

Appearing on CNN on Saturday morning, Wyoming State Rep. Landon Brown (R) gave his full-throated backing to Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and bitterly complained the Republican Party he belongs to --particularly in his state -- has been overrun by "fringe" characters who are destroying it.

Speaking with host Phil Mattingly, Brown said he fully expects Cheney to win re-election while also joining her in stating that former president Donald Trump is "unfit for office' after his Jan 6th shenanigans.

"You're not just a Republican in Wyoming backing Congresswoman Cheney, you've been vocal about it as well," host Mattingly prompted. "You're not shying away from it in any way. The state Republican party has gone after the congresswoman to which she responded in a New York Times interview that the state party leaders have 'abandoned the Constitution.' Do you think that the Wyoming GOP state leaders have abandoned the Constitution?"

"Yeah," Brown shot back. "You know, I think what's happened here at this point is we've seen a fringe group that is on the far right of our party has taken over our party and they are the ones that are pushing this narrative and, you know, they've been working behind the scenes to come out and come against Liz Cheney since day one with her support of this January 6th panel."

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"Let's not forget that Liz Cheney was the one who said, you know, we need to make sure that we're looking at this from all angles," he continued. "We need to make sure that we're there and the Republican Party had everything out there, you know, as far as -- the opportunity to stand behind her and they have left that and unfortunately that shows too many people across this country that Trump has hijacked the Republican Party."

Brown also went on to state he has no intention of leaving the GOP, telling the CNN host, "What I do strongly feel that absolutely I will continue to be a Republican. I view the world through the views of the GOP as the grand old party and a big tent Republican Party and that's what we need to get back to. We need to get back to the understanding that we may have differentiating views within the state party -- or even within the national party, -- but we're all still Republicans."

"You know, at the end of the day, President Trump has a maximum of four years more in office and I stand with Liz Cheney that I will do everything in my power to make sure that's not happening [again] as well," he continued. "At the end of the day, what he did and the way he handled himself on January 6th it is clear to everybody that he is unfit for office."

Watch below:

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