美国国家公共电台 NPR--Liz Cheney is considering a presidential run to stop Trump after losing her House seat

Liz Cheney is considering a presidential run to stop Trump¹ after losing her House seat

Transcript²

Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is laying out her future political plans, including a possible run against Donald Trump in 2024, after conceding defeat in the primary election for her House seat. Her loss on Tuesday followed unyielding criticism since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol of the former president and his efforts to subvert³ the 2020 election.

"This primary election is over, but now the real work begins," Cheney said in her concession⁴ speech Tuesday night, noting that she had called opponent Harriet Hageman to congratulate her.

Cheney acknowledged in a Wednesday interview on NBC's Today she was "thinking" about running for president in 2024.

For her 2022 House race, Cheney raised $14 million, a record for any primary in Wyoming's history, and she spent about half of it. The vast majority of donations came from out of state, and she has built up a network she could tap into in the future. Cheney plans to transform her campaign operation into a political action committee called The Great Task, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.

"In coming weeks, Liz will be launching an organization to educate the American people about the ongoing⁵ threat to our Republic, and to mobilize a unified⁶ effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for president," said Cheney spokesman Jeremy Adler, as first reported by Politico.

In the interview on Wednesday, she called Trump a "grave threat" and said, "I think that defeating him is going to require a broad and united front of Democrats⁷, Republicans and independents, and that's what I intend to be part of."

Cheney didn't say whether she would run as a Republican or an independent, but said the GOP is "in very bad shape" and said it "could take several election cycles" to return it to its principles. But she said it was important for the country that the Republican Party return to its roots, instead of being focused on Trump.

It was an expected outcome for Cheney, who went from party star and heir to a conservative dynasty to a political outcast — marked by the moment she chose to break with the former president following his role in fomenting⁸ a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Cheney addressed supporters on Tuesday night in Jackson Hole, near her home, repeating her vow⁹ to do whatever she can to stop Trump from returning to the White House and warning against candidates for other offices willing to ignore the will of voters.

"Our nation is barreling once again toward crisis, lawlessness and violence," Cheney said. "No American should support election deniers for any position of genuine responsibility."

Hageman argued that Cheney was out of step with the state.

"By our vote today, Wyoming has put the elites¹⁰ on notice: We are no longer going to tolerate representatives who don't represent us," Hageman said in her victory speech.

Hageman, an attorney endorsed¹¹ by Trump who once was a Cheney supporter, took a vast lead over the incumbent¹². In a state that gave Donald Trump his biggest victory in 2020, Hageman is on a glide¹³ path to win the seat outright¹⁴ against Democratic opponent Lynnette GreyBull in November.

When Liz Cheney chose to run for reelection to her House seat in 2020 instead of making a bid for an open Senate seat, some Republicans speculated she was charting a path to become the first female Republican speaker of the House.

Cheney's allies assert she could have easily won reelection if she had done what the vast majority of her GOP colleagues in Congress have done — stood in lock step with Trump. Instead, Cheney made the race entirely¹⁵ about her decision to stand up to the former president.

The Trump base is king in GOP primaries

Roughly 70% of Wyoming voted for Trump and Cheney's repudiation¹⁶ of him became the red line for so many GOP voters who enthusiastically backed her not long ago.

Her final campaign ad zeroed in on her argument that Trump's lie about the 2020 election being stolen is "insidious¹⁷" and damaging to democracy.

Mary Martin, chair of the Teton County Republican Party in Wyoming, supported Cheney in the past, but says Cheney's interaction with voters changed following her sharp break with the former president.

"I have heard personally from folks who were really staunch supporters of Liz Cheney, and contributed lots of money to her in the past, that she's insulted them," Martin said, adding that her rhetoric¹⁸ labeling her constituents¹⁹, "Just her personal approach to this has alienated²⁰ and turned people off. She is not the only person in Wyoming that supports the Constitution."

Republican strategist Alice Stewart says Trump's influence was the ultimate factor in this race.

"Without a doubt, again, when we're talking about a primary, the base is king, and right now, the base of the Republican Party supports Donald Trump," she said.

Martin says the race became personal for many: "In Wyoming, trust and loyalty²¹ are very high traits. And she has betrayed trust and she's betrayed loyalty. And she has taken a stance that is perceived by some to be arrogant²² and not acceptable. And that I mean, it comes down to just, in my opinion, January 6th."

Hageman proudly touted²³ Trump's support. He traveled to Casper in May hold a rally for her and labelled Cheney a "RINO" — Republican In Name Only.

While Hageman criss-crossed the state, Cheney held mostly small private campaign events and her aides say security concerns forced a more limited public schedule. Cheney has had a U.S. Capitol Police detail for more than a year due to a steady stream of threats.

Cheney was one of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach²⁴ Trump after the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. With her loss, only two in that group — David Valadao of California and Dan Newhouse of Washington State — will remain on the ballot²⁵ in November. Three others lost primaries and four chose to retire.

Cheney's future: Jan. 6 investigation²⁶ and 2024

Cheney's public statements hinted for some time she's focused on the long game. In June, she delivered a blunt broadside at fellow House GOP members still loyal to Trump at the primetime kick off of the public hearings of the House panel probing Jan, 6.

"Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain," Cheney said.

The panel is still interviewing witnesses and planning more public hearings this fall. It plans to release a report by the end of the year, and Cheney's position as vice²⁷ chair gives her a national platform for several more months.

Even before the primary vote, Cheney was showing some signs of positioning for a possible 2024 presidential campaign. It's unclear if she would remain a Republican, or consider an independent bid.

In June, she traveled to the Ronald Reagan Library — a stop for GOP presidential hopefuls — and made a speech many viewed as the blueprint²⁸ for a national campaign. It was a mix of her regular denunciations of Trump, mixed with her political biography. It outlined conservative principles similar to those espoused²⁹ by her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney: limited government, lower taxes and a strong national defense³⁰.

Cheney also made gender³¹ a part of her critique about the current leaders in power. She emphasized that many of the key witnesses in the Jan. 6 probe were young women like Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, whose dramatic testimony³² marked a major moment in the investigation. She told the audience at the library, "These days, for the most part, men are running the world, and it is really not going all that well."

Stewart believes, even after she no longer has a seat in Congress, there is a place for Cheney in the GOP. She thinks she could be part of an effort to expand the message beyond the Trump base.

"If she continues to get out there and engage in GOP circles and functions, and continue to remind people about her voting record as a Republican, and about her support for freedom and policies that unite the Republican Party as opposed to grievances³³ that divide us, there's a path for her to stay very relevant in the Republican Party," Stewart said.

Martin agreed that Cheney's Wyoming primary, and her role in the party going forward, would be one that people would talk about for a while: "I know that she's going to go down in history, but I think we are going to have to wait a while to see what the story is of what is said about Liz Cheney in history."

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 subvert   

v.推翻；暗中破坏；搅乱

参考例句：

• The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.反叛军队企图颠覆政府统治。
• They tried to subvert our state and our Party. This is the crux of the matter.他们是要颠覆我们的国家，颠覆我们的党，这是问题的实质。

4 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fomenting   

v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 他们指控他煽动政治动乱。
• Three sailors were fomenting a mutiny on the ship. 三个水手正在船上煽动叛变。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

10 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

11 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

13 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。

14 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

15 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

16 repudiation   

n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃

参考例句：

• Datas non-repudiation is very important in the secure communication. 在安全数据的通讯中，数据发送和接收的非否认十分重要。 来自互联网
• There are some goals of Certified E-mail Protocol: confidentiality non-repudiation and fairness. 挂号电子邮件协议需要具备保密性、不可否认性及公平性。 来自互联网

17 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

18 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

19 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

22 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

23 touted   

v.兜售( tout的过去式和过去分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。
• People said that he touted for his mother and sister. 据说，他给母亲和姐姐拉生意。 来自辞典例句

24 impeach   

v.弹劾；检举

参考例句：

• We must impeach the judge for taking bribes.我们一定要检举法官收受贿赂。
• The committee decided to impeach the President.委员会决定弹劾总统。

25 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

26 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

27 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

28 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

29 espoused   

v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education. 他们赞同在教育方面人人机会均等的观念。
• The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me. 她所支持的意见令我难以理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

31 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

32 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

33 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》