Republicans are abandoning Liz Cheney as Trump’s grip on the GOP tightens

Former President Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party is tightening as Republicans who defended Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) are now turning on the GOP scion.

"Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) received a surprising vote of confidence this month. Despite an effort by former president Donald Trump's loyalists to remove her as the No. 3 House GOP leader over her vote to impeach him, she kept her post by a resounding 145-61 margin. The vote, given its secrecy, led to suggestions that the House GOP's true devotion to Trump might be less than meets the public eye," The Washington Post reported Thursday. "Events Thursday, though, suggest that the party is having second thoughts about how tenable that position is. Two Republicans who offered significant defenses of Cheney, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), both turned on her in significant ways."

The newspaper noted an interview with McCarthy on Fox News, where he described Cheney's criticism of Trump appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference as "beyond wrong."

The newspaper also noted that Rep. Roy is now saying Cheney has "forfeited her right to be the chair of the Republican conference."

"More than anything, though, both he and McCarthy's comments seem to be a case in point when it comes to where the party truly lies right now. A president can be blamed for violence or even have committed an impeachable offense, but calling for the party to chart a new course from them when other members aren't on board is just not okay," the analysis by Aaron Blake noted. "That this was coming from two of the rare Republicans who emphasized Trump's culpability in the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6 should escape nobody's attention when it comes to what this means for the party moving forward — nor should the highly unusual rebuke from a fellow leader who might just be watching his right flank right now."

Read the full report.