Retired Army colonel launches primary challenge against Cheney

by Julia Manchester - 05/10/21 3:00 PM ET

Retired Army Col. Denton Knapp on Monday became the latest Republican to launch a primary challenge against House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (Wyo.) as she prepares to face a key vote this week that will determine if she stays in leadership.

“What’s missing right now is trust in our elected officials,” Knapp told the Gillette News Record. “Wyomingites expected Cheney to vote a certain way and she didn’t. As a result, she’s going through consequences.”

Knapp graduated from high school in Gillette, Wyo., and currently resides in California. He told the local publication that he plans to move back to Gillette.

Five other Republicans have also filed paperwork to run against the Wyoming congresswoman.

Cheney has faced backlash from the right for voting to impeach former President Trump earlier this year after a pro-Trump mob violently attacked the Capitol after attending a rally headlined by the then-president in Washington.

The Republican congresswoman has since been vocally critical of Trump, warning members of the GOP that they should not follow his lead and repeatedly condemning his false claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him.

House Republicans are preparing to oust Cheney from her post as conference chair on Wednesday. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is expected to seize the position.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) voiced his support for Stefanik on Fox News on Sunday. Trump has also gotten behind Stefanik, saying she is key to the GOP winning back the House in 2022.

“We need someone in Leadership who has experience flipping districts from Blue to Red as we approach the important 2022 midterms, and that’s Elise!” he said in a statement. “She knows how to win, which is what we need!”