President Donald Trump released a statement Wednesday regarding the Republican Party’s recent censure of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.
Trump said, “The censure of Cheney and Kinzinger is a good and very appropriate thing to do as it pertains to our great Republican Party!”
The 45th president also responded to Mitch McConnell’s criticism of the RNC, saying, “For the Old Crow Mitch McConnell to say that the RNC should not censure walking Democrat sound bites, Liz Cheney and Cryin’ Adam Kinzinger, is so against what Republicans are about.” Taking another shot at McConnell, he added, “It’s not as bad as the two-month extension he gave the Democrats when they were ready to fold.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC) overwhelmingly voted last week to censure Cheney and Kinzinger as a result of their participation in the Jan. 6 committee. The RNC released a statement, saying, “The Republican National Committee hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the Conference.”
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also wrote in a statement, “Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger crossed a line. They chose to join Nancy Pelosi in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol.” She added, “That’s why Republican National Committee members and myself overwhelmingly support this resolution.”
While the overwhelming majority of Republicans have supported the formal censure of Cheney and Kinzinger, multiple Republican leaders have expressed their disapproval for the action. Among Republican leaders opposed to this resolution is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky.
Explaining the reason for his disapproval, McConnell said, “The issue is whether or not the RNC should be, sort of, singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority.” The senator added, “That’s not the job of the RNC.”
The RNC’s censure of the Cheney and Kinzinger should come as no surprise, however, as their involvement in the Jan. 6 House committee has brought them into direct conflict with President Trump and the Republican Party. Cheney was censured by her own state last year, and the Wyoming Republican Party even voted to no longer recognize her as a member of the party.
Cheney and Kinzinger have both criticized the 45th president for his stance on the 2020 election numerous times and both voted to impeach him after the events of Jan. 6. After being censured, Cheney said, “The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy.”
While establishment Republicans, like Mitch McConnell, may be hesitant to support the RNC’s latest actions against Cheney and Kinzinger, most of the Republican Party appears ready to side with President Trump on this issue.