Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) went on CNN on Friday morning to complain about Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) being ousted as the Republican Conference chair. He claimed that Cheney’s ousting over her opposition to former President Donald Trump was a “loyalty test” for House Republicans.
“It’s been an awful week for Republicans,” Flake said. “Liz Cheney did a stellar job in explaining why she did what she did. I mean, that speech on the House floor and then her interviews afterward, it’s been a bad week for Republicans. Not because people care or even know who the House conference chair is, but the fact that this is a manifestation of a party that is unwilling to accept truth, that’s what’s really damaging.”
“This is President Trump’s party right now,” he added. “It won’t always be. I think he will lose influence more quickly than he would like. But right now, this is a loyalty test. It’s not a test on ideology. Obviously, Liz Cheney is far more conservative than Elise Stefanik, but this is a test on whether or not you are loyal to a man, and that’s a terrible place for a party to be in. And so, yeah, it’s more of a purge than a civil war.”
This comes after Trump himself spoke out to celebrate Cheney’s ousting.
Liz Cheney is a bitter, horrible human being,” Trump said in a statement, according to Yahoo News. “She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our country. She is a talking point for Democrats, whether that means the border, the gas lines, inflation, or destroying our economy.”
“She is a warmonger whose family stupidly pushed us into the never-ending Middle East Disaster, draining our wealth and depleting our great military, the worst decision in our country’s history,” Trump concluded. “I look forward to soon watching her as a paid contributor on CNN or MSDNC!”
Cheney has continued to blast Trump since her ousting, pledging to do everything she can to make sure he does not become president again.
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