Liz Cheney in 2024? Deep skepticism emerges in key states

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Because the solar set in Wyoming, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney described her blowout loss as the start of a extra consequential step in her political profession. She summoned Abraham Lincoln, who misplaced elections for the Home and Senate and nonetheless went on to grew to become one of many nation’s most achieved presidents.

However within the days since, would-be supporters in key states have brazenly expressed skepticism a few Cheney presidential run, even one solely designed to dam Donald Trump’s return to the White Home.

In truth, Republican voters and native officers in three of the states that matter most in presidential politics — Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — imagine the soon-to-be-unemployed congresswoman has little path to relevancy in a 2024 presidential major, by no means thoughts a path to victory. Some sympathizers worry she would truly assist Trump if she runs.

Such is the colossal political problem forward for Cheney, a Republican looking for to remodel a 37-percentage-point home-state loss right into a nationwide marketing campaign to destroy Trump’s White Home ambitions. There is no such thing as a precedent for what she hopes to perform.

“The Republican Social gathering is much more numerous than it’s given credit score for, and there will probably be some quantity of people that discover her, and her message, interesting, however that’s removed from saying that there could be a heat reception, or a big reception,” stated Micah Caskey, a Republican state consultant in South Carolina. “I don’t see a Liz Cheney candidacy as being viable.”

Within the hours after she conceded her Wyoming congressional major to a little-known Trump acolyte, Cheney’s crew transferred leftover marketing campaign funds into a brand new entity she named “The Nice Process,” borrowing a phrase from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Deal with. She vowed to dedicate the weeks earlier than the November midterms to defeating Trump loyalists who proceed to advertise the lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

“I will probably be doing no matter it takes to maintain Donald Trump out of the Oval Workplace,” Cheney advised NBC’s “At the moment” present. She acknowledged she is considering a 2024 presidential run. “I’ll decide within the coming months.”

Cheney, the 56-year-old daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has not dominated out working in 2024 as a Republican or an impartial. However these near her now imagine an impartial run would seemingly entice extra assist from Democrats than Republicans, which might undermine her targets. Due to this fact, if she runs, it could nearly actually be as a Republican.

Her crew believes that Cheney would enter the 2024 Republican contest because the undisputed chief of the anti-Trump lane, which might embody the likes of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ailing., and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The Cheney identify is universally recognized, they observe, and she or he enjoys a nationwide fundraising base that introduced in additional than $15 million for her failed reelection bid. She would even have the assist of her father and maintains shut ties to former President George W. Bush, who hosted a fundraiser for Cheney final fall.

She is going to proceed to play a number one position within the Home investigation into the Jan. 6 rebel, which is ready to host one other spherical of hearings in September.

Regardless of these elements, there was little signal of enthusiasm for Cheney within the states probably to resolve the subsequent GOP presidential nomination.

Voters have been brazenly celebrating her loss on the Iowa State Truthful, a must-stop for presidents and presidential contenders ever because the state started internet hosting the nation’s opening presidential major contest a half-century in the past.

“It’s celebration day on the Iowa Republican Social gathering. Liz Cheney is outta right here!” crowed Debra Wyna, a Des Moines-area GOP volunteer and 57-year-old retired salon proprietor. “Liz Cheney is a swamp monster.”

Different voters who stopped by the GOP sales space have been much less pointed than Wyna however no much less dismissive of Cheney’s political ambitions.

“I’m by no means going to vote for her as a result of I imagine she betrayed the Republican Social gathering by voting to question President Trump,” stated Janet Diers, a 67-year-old retired particular schooling instructor from rural western Iowa.

Gentry Collins, a veteran Iowa and nationwide Republican operative who opposes Trump, stated he has “nice respect” for Cheney, however he doesn’t see how she wages a viable marketing campaign for president.

“The place do the votes come from? Perhaps she aggregates the anti-Trump vote, however that’s not sufficient,” stated Collins, a former political director for the Republican Nationwide Committee. “She’s my form of Republican, however I don’t see a gap.”

It was a lot the identical throughout New Hampshire, which historically hosts the nation’s second Republican major contest.

Whereas the state prides itself on ushering in presidential candidates each 4 years, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who has mocked Trump, declined a chance to welcome a potential Cheney marketing campaign when given the chance.

“The governor has given no thought or consideration as to who could or could not run for president in 2024,” Sununu spokesperson Ben Vihstadt stated. “He’s solely centered on the midterms in lower than 100 days, and firmly believes each second spent speculating about 2024 is a waste of time.”

Early presidential major jockeying has been underway for a number of months. And the primary Republican presidential announcement might come any time. Trump is weighing whether or not to declare his presidential intentions earlier than or after the midterms.

Republican presidential prospects have been flocking to Iowa and New Hampshire for months already. The guests embody former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Tom Cotton and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is one other frequent identify mentioned by native Republican major voters, although he has but to make an look.

Cheney herself delivered a speech in New Hampshire late final 12 months, declaring that Trump was at conflict with the rule of regulation.

Caskey, the South Carolina state consultant, believes Trump could also be weak in a small Republican discipline, however a big Republican discipline would divide the anti-Trump vote and assist Trump declare his social gathering’s nomination once more.

“I believe Donald Trump is the odds-on favourite to win if he runs, however I don’t assume he has an assured path to victory,” Caskey stated. “I believe the extra candidates that become involved, the extra seemingly it’s that he succeeds.”

Matthew Bartlett, a veteran New Hampshire Republican operative who labored in Trump’s State Division however give up after the Jan. 6 rebel, stated there’s loads of buzz throughout the state about presidential candidates — save one.

“Not one particular person is speaking about Liz Cheney,” Bartlett stated. “I don’t assume she is aware of what she’s doing.”

Nationally, round 7 in 10 Republicans proceed to assist Trump. That quantity could have jumped within the days after the FBI executed a search warrant at his Florida property, although critics observe that Trump’s a number of authorized entanglements might finally harm his standing. Cheney, in the meantime, is lumped close to the underside with Pompeo and Haley, amongst others, in early public polling.

Voters are likely to agree with the political professionals.

Claire Potter wore a Cheney T-shirt on a current journey to Conway, New Hampshire, to “categorical my admiration as a Democrat” for the place she has taken in opposition to Trump. Potter, a historical past professor at The New Faculty in New York, additionally donated $25 to the Cheney marketing campaign.

Simply don’t count on her to vote for Cheney in 2024.

“I don’t hope that she runs for president,” Potter stated. “I believe that might be actually dicey by way of retaining Trump out of the White Home. However I belief her political instincts round what she does subsequent.”

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Related Press author Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Comply with AP for full protection of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics.