Washington D.C (WNews) – The Republican Party on Friday censured two of its own — U.S. Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — for their role in Congress’ investigation of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election and an attack led by his supporters on Capitol Hill.
As the only Republicans participating in the House of Representatives investigation of last year’s deadly Capital riot, Cheney and Kinzinger voted to impeach Trump on a charge of incitement to insurrection.
According to a copy obtained by Reuters, the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Friday rebuked Cheney and Kinzinger for their involvement in the Jan. 6 select committee, accusing them of “participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
On Jan. 6, four people were killed, and on Jan. 7, a Capitol Police officer was killed. About 140 police officers were injured, and four later committed suicide by suicide.
The resolution passed on a voice vote as 168 members of the RNC gathered for their winter meeting in Salt Lake City. There were a handful of nays among the yes votes, reported reporters at the meeting.
It said their actions have damaged Republican efforts to win back majorities in Congress.
The measure said the RNC will “immediately cease any and all support of them” as party members, but stops short of calling for their ouster from the party, as initially proposed.
In the lead-up to the midterm congressional elections on Nov. 8, Donald Trump maintains a strong grip over his party’s warpath against Republicans who have spoken out against him. Republicans are trying to take control of both the House and the Senate from President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats.
As well, former vice president Mike Pence said on Friday that former president Donald Trump was “wrong” when he claimed that he could have overturned the results of the upcoming election.
Pence addressed the fear that Trump could have prevented Joe Biden’s election in a speech to the conservative Federalist Society in Florida this week.
“President Trump is wrong,” Pence said. “I had no right to overturn the election.”
While Pence in the past has defended his actions on Jan. 6 and said that he and Trump will likely never see “eye to eye” on what happened that day, the remarks Friday marked his most forceful rebuttal of Trump to date. These remarks come as Pence is preparing for the possibility of running for president in 2024. He would be in direct competition with his former boss, who has also hinted that he will return.
