Kevin McCarthy left behind as top Republicans flock to support Trump critics: report

According to a report from the Washington Post, senior influential Republicans in Congress are lining up behind critics of Donald Trump in both houses, providing them with cash and support for their re-election efforts while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is keeping a wide berth.

The central character in the GOP establishment's cold war with the former president is Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who has become a vocal critic of the one-term president since he incited the crowd at a " Stop the Steal" rally that turned into a riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.

Trump has been highly critical of the Wyoming Republican and has pushed for her to be primaried after she voted to impeach him, but that hasn't kept the GOP leadership from running to support her.

According to the Washington Post report, "Inside her nearly $1.6 million haul in three months, Cheney (R-Wyo.) secured financial backing from dozens of alumni of both Bush administrations, including a couple of Cabinet members and, not surprisingly, her parents, Richard and Lynne Cheney. More than 10 current and former members of the House cut checks to her campaign, including former speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and a handful of other Republicans who voted to impeach the former president during the Jan. 13 vote," before adding, "Five GOP senators donated to Cheney, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Even Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump's staunchest defenders, sent Cheney $5,000 from his PAC last month, the maximum he can give to what is expected to be a tense Trump-fueled primary challenge next year."

Missing from that list is McCarthy who has not spoken with Cheney recently, but who is expected to encounter her during a GOP retreat this weekend.

According to the report, Cheney's opposition to Trump has led to a windfall in donations from her peers with the Post reporting, "In three months, Cheney's campaign raised almost 60 percent of her two-year total for the 2020 election."

Cheney has also been the recipient of donations from corporate PACs that announced they would not back lawmakers who tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election.

As for McCarthy, the report notes, "McCarthy has not donated to Cheney and he grows irritated when asked about her clashes with the former president, refusing at an April 15 news conference to address whether Trump should stop attacking Cheney."

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