Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Breitbart News during a conference call Monday that House Republican Conference chair Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) attacks against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and himself represent her “vindictive style.”
Gaetz spoke to Breitbart News as he announced that he will travel to Wyoming to “inspire” the state to oust her as their representative in Congress.
The Florida conservative, long known for being a proponent of Trump’s America First foreign policy of noninterventionism, said that Cheney wants the Republican Party to reflect her “America Last” vision.
He said:
In the wake of the Biden presidency, the Republican Party establishment is trying to wrangle the conservative movement back under their control. They want the GOP to look and sound like Liz Cheney. I have a competing vision for Republicanism and I intend to showcase it by going after the America Last politicians in both parties.
More than half of the House Republican Conference has committed to support a resolution calling to remove Cheney as the House GOP chair after she voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
Now, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Sunday that Cheney has to “answer” to the House GOP Conference about her leadership as the third-ranking Republican.
Gaetz said that his call to remove Cheney arose after Cheney supported Massie’s primary opponent.
However, the battle between Gaetz and Cheney became more personal as a spokesperson told the Washington Examiner, “Rep. Gaetz can leave his beauty bag at home. In Wyoming, the men don’t wear make-up.”
Gaetz told Breitbart News that Cheney’s move to primary Massie, as well as her office’s comments against him, demonstrate her vengeful attitude.
“Liz was the first to demonstrate a vindictive style by going after Thomas Massie when he got crossways with the president and looked vulnerable. Thomas, obviously, wasn’t vulnerable; he was very strong and won that primary overwhelmingly, but it showed a lot about how Liz Cheney approaches politics,” Gaetz said.
The Florida conservative also noted that his disagreements also reflect their disagreements on American foreign policy.
Cheney cosponsored an amendment with Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would tie the president’s hands on withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Gaetz continued:
I don’t dislike Liz, personally. I don’t know her very well personally, but my disagreements with her are serious. And they are about serious policy issues. I would argue that they are some of the most serious when talking about matters of war and peace. And for her to utilize a spokesperson to retort about my looks says more about her approach to politics than it does about me. I know, when I’m offering a critique of a political figure or a worldview, I don’t have to go through a spokesperson.
He added, “I level my charges directly, and I’m going to Wyoming to do just that.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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