Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is pushing back against Trump-backed Harriet Hageman who claimed the Republican incumbent did not fully concede after losing the Wyoming primary.
Hageman appeared on Fox News where she shared details about her conversation with Cheney, reports Politico. According to Hageman, Cheney "left a very brief two-second message on my cell phone" Tuesday night after the election results were in and insisted that she did not address "any kind of concession or anything else."
However, the Republican lawmaker released an audio clip of the same conversation, refuting Hageman's claims. The audio Cheney's campaign submitted to Politico appears to confirm that she did concede at 8:13 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16.
In fact, the Wyoming lawmaker made it a point to include the date and time of her concession during the call. "Hi, Harriet, it is Liz Cheney calling," Cheney could be heard saying in the audio clip. "It is about 8:13 on Tuesday the 16th, I'm calling to concede the election and congratulate you on the win. Thanks."
Cheney's audio contradicts the claim Hageman made during her appearance on Fox News with Sean Hannity.
"I haven't had any other contact with Liz Cheney. She made the one effort and all she said was 'Hello, Harriet.' And then that was the end of it," Hageman said. When Hannity attempted to gain clarity on Cheney having called to just say "Hello, Harriet' and then hung up," Hageman doubled down saying, "That was the end of the call, yes."
After the report was released about Cheney's recording, a spokesperson from Hageman's campaign team also released a response.
Per Politico: "A Hageman spokesperson provided a video to bolster the GOP nominee's depiction of events. It shows a phone ostensibly belonging to Hageman playing a message identified as coming from Cheney's number. The message as played on-screen contains only Cheney's two-word greeting before sound cuts off for more than 10 more seconds."
However, Cheney also had a response to that. Speaking to Politico on Wednesday, August 17, "Cheney said she had tried to call Hageman three times, but ultimately left a voicemail before she took the stage at her election night party. Cheney added that she never heard back from Hageman."
