Former President Donald Trump made it official Thursday and endorsed attorney and former candidate for governor Harriet Hageman’s primary election challenge of Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
Sources had revealed the 4th-generation Wyomingite as Trump’s choice on Wednesday. Trump emailed his endorsement, calling Hageman “all in for America First,” and saying she had his “complete and total endorsement in replacing the Democrats #1 provider of sound bites, Liz Cheney.”
Cheney replied via tweet with a screenshot of Trump’s statement and the message “Here’s a sound bite for you. Bring it.”
Trump had interviewed most of Cheney’s announced and potential challengers this summer, saying he would endorse one and wanted the others to drop out to avoid diluting the anti-Cheney vote.
Businessman Darin Smith immediately announced he was suspending his campaign, repeating an earlier statement that “hell would freeze over before I’d be the reason Liz Cheney gets reelected.”
State Senator Bo Biteman said he wasn’t dropping out because he’d never officially entered the race. There’s been no response from the other announced or considering candidates.
U-S Senator Cynthia Lummis, Cheney’s predecessor in Wyoming’s lone House seat, had been consulted by Trump about Hageman. She didn’t endorse Hageman,, but did issue a statement that Trump made “an inspired choice” in picking her.
Shortly after getting Trump’s endorsement, Hageman was interviewed by Fox News host Laura Ingraham and said Cheney “has betrayed Wyoming, she betrayed all of us, and she betrayed me” in voting to impeach Trump over the Capitol riot.