Former Republican President George W. Bush plunged into the escalating GOP civil war over Donald Trump’s accusation on Friday after Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz rallied to defeat Congresswoman Liz Cheney in her hometown of Wyoming.
While the Republican Party is grappling with its future under President Joe Biden, civil war has escalated after ten members of the House voted in favor of Trump’s accusation of inciting the deadly uprising on January 6. Bush spoke out one day after Gaetz fought Liz Cheney – the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney – the no. 3 Republican in the House who participated along with nine others to sue.
Freddy Ford, Bush’s chief of staff, told CNN on Friday that the former Republican president has not “thought about the next election cycle” yet, but said he “plans to kill Mr. Bush. Cheney tomorrow to call two reasons: to wish him a happy 80th. birthday, and to thank him for the service of his daughter. ‘
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The support shows that Cheney is getting criticism of GOP over her ‘conscience vote’ to accuse, with several Trump allies in the House calling on her to resign her leadership role because she broke up with the Republican Party.
Gaetz campaigned against Cheney in Wyoming on Thursday, urging voters to expel her in the next election cycle to vote to accuse Trump.
“We’re fighting for the soul of the Republican Party, and I’m going to win it,” the Florida legislature told a crowd of Trump supporters and protesters. “You can help me break a corrupt system. You can send a representative who actually represents you, and you can send Liz Cheney home – back to Washington, DC.”
Cheney’s vote to accuse caused a setback in her state, which nearly 70 percent voted for Trump in November. Republican Senator Anthony Bouchard, who will run against Cheney in 2022, has already launched a campaign against her accusation.
“There has not been a time during our tenure that we have seen this kind of outcry from our fellow Republicans, and the anger and frustration is palpable in the comments we have received,” Bouchard said on January 13.
In addition, more than 55,000 Americans supported a petition from Change.org to “revoke” Cheney.
“You’re a Republican, you’re supposed to support your party regardless,” Shelley Horn, a Wyoming resident who started the petition, told CNN. “You just can not go:” Well, I have to agree with my conscience. ‘ No! Vote for what your people made you sit there. ‘
Cheney declined the appeal for her resignation. “I’m not going anywhere,” she told reporters on Capitol Hill. “It’s a voice of conscience. It’s one where there are different opinions in our conference.”
Other Republicans from the House who voted in favor also received retaliation for breaking up the party. The South Carolina Republican Party voted Saturday to officially condemn Congressman Tom Rice for his vote to accuse.
“We have made clear our disappointment on the night of the vote on the indictment. Trying to accuse a president, with another week in his term, is never legal and is nothing more than a political kick on the way out the door. out not, “the South Carolina GOP said. Chairman Drew McKissick in a statement.
Newsweek reached out to Cheney’s office for comment.
Updated 20:07 ET: to include comments from Drew McKissick.