OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney left many in the Republican Party confused again this week after she endorsed another Democrat in a key midterm race and praised Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
During the interview on PBS NewsHour, Cheney endorsed a Democratic candidate in one of the most consequential midterm elections in modern U.S. history, but she used her time to praise House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom she believes is a “tremendous leader.”
“I want to say a word about Speaker Pelosi. Everyone knows she is a liberal from San Francisco. I am a conservative from Wyoming. There are many, many issues, maybe most issues, on which we disagree. But I think that she is a tremendous leader. I’ve watched her up close. She is a leader of historic consequence,” Cheney said.
WATCH:
Rep. Liz Cheney calls House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "a tremendous leader" and "a leader of historic consequence" pic.twitter.com/bNYCaFOCYf
— Alex Nitzberg (@alexnitzberg) November 2, 2022
Earlier this week, Cheney hit with campaign trail for Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, whom she endorsed last week.
“If we want to ensure the survival of our republic, we have to walk away from politics as usual,” Cheney said at a rally for Slotkin. “We have to stand up, every one of us, and say we’re going to do what’s right for this country. We’re going to look beyond partisan politics.”
Cheney revealed that it was the first time she had ever campaigned for a Democrat but added that it wasn’t “a hard decision at all.”
Further proving that she seems to be aligned more with Democrats than Republicans, Cheney endorsed Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic Senate candidate out of Ohio.
The Ohio race between Ryan and Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance is one of the most crucial in the nation and could decide which political party controls the upper chamber next year.
LIZ CHENEY: "I would not vote for J.D. Vance."
JUDY WOODRUFF (PBS): "So if you were a Buckeye State voter, you'd be voting for Tim Ryan?"
CHENEY: "I would." pic.twitter.com/SwIiSW62jV
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) November 1, 2022
Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake recently trolled Cheney by revealing that the Wyoming Republican’s $500,000 smear campaign actually helped her campaign.
Lake trolled Cheney by sending her a “thank you” letter for her $500,000 ad buy against Lake. She jokingly called “the Cheney anti-endorsement the gift that keeps on giving.”
Cheney, who was blown out in the Wyoming primary in August and will be out of office in a few months, has begun supporting Democrats running against Republicans in several races. Cheney’s Great Task PAC announced on Friday it would spend more than $500,000 on broadcast and online ads against Arizona Republican candidates Lake and Mark Finchem, the GOP secretary of state nominee.
“You have a candidate for Governor, Kari Lake, you have a candidate for Secretary of State, Mark Finchem, both of whom have said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it,” Cheney said in the ad. “And if you care about the survival of our Republic, we cannot give people power who will not honor elections.”
In the letter to Cheney, which was addressed to “Defeated Member of Congress,” Lake noted that Cheney’s ad buys led to “skyrocketing” campaign donations and increased website traffic.
Lake said: “Thank you for your generous in-kind contribution to my campaign. Your recent television ad urging Arizonans not to vote for me is doing just the opposite. Our campaign donations are skyrocketing and our website nearly crashed from traffic as people rushed to learn more about my plan to put Arizona First and join our historic political movement.”
“In fact, my team tells me your commercial should add another 10 points to our lead,” Lake added. “I guess that’s why they call the Cheney anti-endorsement the gift that keeps on giving.”
“While we appreciate your in-kind contribution, the $500,000 ad buy likely exceeds Arizona’s $5,300 individual contribution limit,” Lake noted.
“Thank you again for the huge boost to our campaign! Enjoy your forced retirement from politics,” Lake concluded. “I know America will rest easier knowing that one more warmonger is out of office.”
The letter ended with a postscript that read, “Make Arizona Great Again!”
Thank you, @Liz_Cheney. pic.twitter.com/rW5Qevwwf5
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 29, 2022
During an appearance earlier this week on Fox News, Lake spoke with host Tucker Carlson about how Cheney’s anti-Trump efforts have only helped her campaign.
Carlson asked: “I’ve never voted for a Democrat. Well, of course, Liz Cheney is a left-wing Democrat who won’t stop lying. So, in response to that ad, Kari Lake wrote this letter to Liz Cheney, it begins: ‘Dear Liz, thank you for your generous in-kind contribution to my campaign. Your recent TV ad urging Arizonans not to vote for me is doing just the opposite. Our donations are skyrocketing and our website nearly crashed from the traffic.’ Kari Lake is running for governor of Arizona, as noted, she joins us tonight. Kari Lake, thanks so much for coming on. Is that true?”
“That’s true. Liz Cheney is now officially my biggest fundraiser to date. We’ve raised a half million dollars since she did the anti-endorsement and people still flocking to our website KariLake.com and donating. It’s been an incredible boom for us in fundraising, so I have to extend a big thank you to Liz. At this rate, Tucker, we might have to invite her to our inaugural ball because we’ll have to thank her for bringing in so much fundraising money for us,” Lake began.
WATCH:
