“I mean she tries to sabotage everything he tries to do in foreign policy, so I don’t know if she’s a good advocate for the president or not,” Paul said when asked if she believed she should remain co-captain of the Congress. for the Trump campaign finance committee.
Cheney broke with Trump for withdrawing US troops from Germany and Afghanistan, warning in June, for example, of “a serious mistake” with “serious consequences” if US troops were withdrawn from Germany.
“I think one of the good things about President Trump is that he tried to end the war in Afghanistan after 20 years,” said Paul. “Liz Cheney was one of the main obstacles to ending the war.”
Paul added: “I am not a great admirer of the perpetual war group. And these are the neocons of our party who are really trying to prevent us from trying to withdraw from a war.”
Amid criticism, Cheney defended her alliance with Trump and told CNN on Tuesday that she and her fellow Republican House of Representatives are “all united in terms of recognizing the dangers the country would face if Joe Biden were elected president. ” Speaking on “Fox and Friends” on Wednesday morning, a show Trump frequently watches, Cheney emphasized that he votes with Trump about “97%” of the time.
“There are areas that tend to be in national security where we don’t always agree,” Cheney said of Trump, adding: “Much more of the time we agree than disagree.”
Paul has also broken with the president in both foreign policy and internal affairs, including Trump’s handling of Iran and the dispatch of federal troops to Portland, Oregon. And on Tuesday, Paul criticized Republicans in the White House and Senate for pushing another $ 1 trillion in extra stimulus and “ruining the country.”
The exchange came after at least seven House conservatives criticized her Tuesday in a closed-door meeting, including representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, Andy Biggs from Arizona, Scott Perry from Pennsylvania and Ralph Norman from South Carolina, according to sources in the room.
Gaetz and Massie complained that Cheney supported a major challenge for Massie, the sources said, while Jordan listed areas where Cheney broke with the president. Roy, facing stiff re-election, beat Cheney for supporting Dr. Anthony Fauci and complained that his Democratic opponent had retweeted some of Cheney’s tweets.
In recent weeks, Cheney has been more forceful than Trump in pressing for masks, has rejected the idea that the federal government could force states to reopen their economies, and has criticized Trump’s unfounded conspiracy theories from a television presenter. by cable.
On Wednesday, Paul blamed Cheney for backing Massie’s main opponent, a libertarian-minded Republican who easily won his primary last month.
“I was really disappointed that she came to our state and opposed Thomas Massie, the serving congressman,” said Paul.
In March, Trump called Massie “a great third-class flag bearer” and said the Republican Party should “kick” Massie out of the party.
CNN’s Haley Byrd and Cat Gloria contributed to this report.
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