How Team Trump systematically snuffed out Liz Cheney's reign in Congress
ELECTIONS
How Team Trump systematically snuffed out Liz Cheney's reign in Congress
The former president's operation executed an unusually disciplined political strategy to defeat his Republican nemesis in her House primary.
By ALEX ISENSTADT
08/16/2022 10:31 PM EDT
Last July, Wyoming Republican Harriet Hageman drove seven hours from her home in Cheyenne to Jackson to meet with a major donor who wanted her to wage a primary campaign against Donald Trumps top nemesis, GOP Rep. Liz Cheney.
When Hageman arrived for the breakfast meeting the following morning, she was greeted by a surprise guest: former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Hageman had heard from an array of Wyoming Republicans urging her to take on Cheney. But Meadows was dialing up the pitch, making the case for Hageman to jump in and putting her on the phone with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, another staunch Trump ally who reinforced the point. After leaving the breakfast, Meadows called Trump and encouraged him to meet with the soon-to-be candidate, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
The episode illustrates Trumps all-encompassing role in the effort to oust Cheney, which culminated Tuesday in a lopsided primary defeat for the congresswoman. Hageman ran with Trumps support, was advised by Trumps lieutenants, and was funded by his donors. Trump aides vetted and interviewed Cheneys prospective challengers with a degree of care the operation didnt display in other big midterm races. Once they settled on their pick, they cleared the field of Hagemans primary rivals. Then, the team formed an outside group that was heavily funded by Trumps PAC, which ran TV ads starring the former presidents son, Donald Trump Jr.
It was an unusually disciplined effort by Trumps political orbit a far-flung, often chaotic constellation of operatives whose disorganization,
fueled by Trumps impulsiveness, has often impeded their attempts to influence campaigns. This time, the well-organized Trump forces swamped Cheney, who by the end appeared less focused on surviving her reelection fight than embracing a high-profile national role as a Trump critic.
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