Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) joined the multitude of voices condemning former President Donald Trump’s recent attack on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his wife.
Cheney, an unabashed critic of the former president, blasted Trump’s remarks last Friday as “absolutely despicable, racist” and threw shade at members of her own party who have not condemned Trump’s remarks.
FORMER TRUMP STAFFER DENOUNCES HIM FOR ‘DESPICABLE’ ATTACKS ON ELAINE CHAO
“Nobody in my party will say that’s unacceptable. Everybody ought to be asked whether or not that’s acceptable, and everybody ought to be able to say no,” Cheney said at an event sponsored by Syracuse University. “They ought to be required to say that.”
Last Friday, Trump went on a fiery tirade against McConnell on his Truth Social platform. He panned McConnell over government spending and made a jarring claim that the Senate Republican leader “has a DEATH WISH” before deriding his wife as “China loving wife, Coco Chow.”
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) calls out Republicans for failing to condemn Trump saying Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has a “death wish” and using a racist nickname for his wife, who was also a Trump Cabinet official. pic.twitter.com/gJTDI17UAO
— The Recount (@therecount) October 4, 2022
McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan, served as Trump’s transportation secretary before departing the post in protest over the Capitol riot. Trump’s remarks were met with swift backlash and accusations of racism.
The former president has long been vexed by McConnell, who criticized him during the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot and recently announced support for the Electoral Reform Act, which aims to close the loopholes Trump allies sought to exploit to secure him a second term in office.
Putting aside the racist taunt, Trump appointed Elaine Chao as his Secretary of Transportation, which she served as through most of his Administration. pic.twitter.com/D6qQbUKwHL
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) October 1, 2022
Cheney described the “death wish” retort as a possible call to violence — echoing similar sentiments from critics of Trump’s recent inflammatory remarks. But a spokesman for Trump denied the former president was trying to stir up violence against McConnell.
“Mitch McConnell is killing the Republican Party through weakness and cowardice. He obviously has a political death wish for himself and Republican Party, but President Trump and the America First champions in Congress will save the Republican Party and our nation,” Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich told NBC News.
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In August, Trump hailed Cheney’s primary defeat at the hands of Harriet Hageman, whom he vociferously backed in the primary battle. Since her defeat, Cheney has vowed to carry on with her fight against the former president and has even left the door open to backing Democrats committed to stopping him.
