Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and House GOP leadership do not appear to have mended fences as the party tries to put on a unified front. In fact, the relationship is "very near a
BREAKING point," Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman writes, adding that in all his years covering the House "this is about as bad as it's gotten."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) appeared to suggest in a recent Politico interview that Cheney, the GOP conference chair who has remained vocal in her criticism of former President
Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, should try to be more of a team player, and he also said he's approached her about toning down some of her remarks. When asked whether he believes she's followed his advice, he said only: "You be the judge."
On Monday, the two publicly split on the scope of a commission investigating the Capitol riot, with Cheney advocating for a narrowly focused probe and McCarthy favoring a broader one that "explores all kinds of political violence, including the
protests that erupted last summer in response to
police brutality," Politico reports.
Sherman reached his conclusion about the state of things after asking McCarthy if he thought Cheney was still a good fit for his leadership team, a question the congressman dodged twice, rarely an encouraging sign.