Liz Cheney: House GOP leadership has 'enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and antisemitism'

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Monday urged House GOP leadership to "renounce and reject" white supremacy in remarks that followed a racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo, New York this weekend.

In a tweet, Cheney said that House Republican leadership has "enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and antisemitism," and that "history has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse." Her message quickly racked up thousands of retweets and replies.

Cheney, who is currently facing a primary challenge from attorney Harriet Hageman, has emerged as a vocal critic of both former President Donald Trump and her party, which subsequently ousted her from House leadership last year. Notably, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — Cheney's replacement in leadership — came under fire this weekend for having allegedly echoed the racist "great replacement" theory believed to have motivated the Buffalo gunman. Stefanik has since condemned the reports as "dangerous media smears."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Monday, several liberal commentators and lawmakers welcomed Cheney's message.

Of course, not everyone felt the same way.

Ten people were killed and three were injured after a gunman opened fire at a Buffalo grocery store on Saturday. The shooter had previously described himself as a white supremacist. He surrendered after the attack and has since been charged with first-degree murder. The mass shooting was just one of many this weekend.