Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) vowed this weekend to do "whatever it takes" to prevent former President Trump from securing the GOP nomination in 2024.
Why it matters: Cheney, whose outward criticism of the former president has made her a pariah in the Republican Party, said during the Texas Tribune Festival that she will leave the GOP if Trump wins the nomination.
Driving the news: "I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn't anywhere close to the Oval Office," Cheney told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith.
- “I'm going to make sure Donald Trump, make sure he's not the nominee,” Cheney said. “And if he is the nominee, I won't be a Republican."
State of play: Cheney lost an August primary for her reelection to a Trump-backed candidate, but is continuing as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee.
- "One of the things that has surprised me the most about my work on this committee is how sophisticated the plan was that Donald Trump was involved in and oversaw every step of the way," Cheney said during the festival.
- "It was a multipart plan that he oversaw, he was involved in personally and directly."
- "While leaders in Congress were begging him, ‘Please, tell the mob to go home,’ Donald Trump wouldn't,” she said.
- “And just set the politics aside for a minute and think to yourself, ‘What kind of human being does that?’”
The big picture: Cheney, who reiterated her commitment to conservative policies, said that people should "not doubt" her ability to fight Trump even after leaving office.
- She did not answer whether she will run for president in 2024.
- “It's really important not to just immediately jump to the horse race and to think about what we need as a country,” Cheney said.
Go deeper... Liz Cheney's role in electoral count bill fuels GOP distrust
