September 10, 2021 |
A one-two political punch that was thrown in Wyoming found its mark in Washington Thursday. Within hours of Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman announcing that she will challenge Liz Cheney for the state’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, former President Donald Trump issued a strong statement of support. Hageman’s bid to unseat Cheney was expected. The Trump endorsement was no surprise, either.
Hageman is a former Cheney ally who until Tuesday night had photographs of herself posing with the anti-Trump Republican and her father, Dick Cheney. By Wednesday, though, the photographs were deleted and replaced with the land and water rights attorney posing next to a portrait of Trump. In a statement announcing her run, Hageman said Cheney betrayed Wyoming. She elaborated on that statement last night during an appearance with Laura Ingram on Fox News.
Pictured above: Harriet Hageman. Photo courtesy Harriet Hageman/Facebook.
Trump’s endorsement was swift and unequivocal. Noting that Hageman has the support of Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, Trump said in a statement: “Unlike RINO Liz Cheney, Harriet is all in for America First. Harriet has my Complete and Total Endorsement in replacing the Democrats number one provider of sound bites.”
Cheney responded to Trump on Twitter, responding, “Bring it.”
Hageman is. Her strong entry into the House race forced two candidates to call it quits. Both Bryan Miller and Darin Smith exited within hours of Trump’s announcement, and said they would support Hageman. Anthony Bouchard and Chuck Gray appear to be staying in for now.
Not everyone is happy with yesterday’s developments, though. National File, a conservative media outlet, reported that a former senior Wyoming GOP party insider said Trump was tricked into letting a political enemy into his inner circle. “Liz Cheney wins again,” said the unnamed source, who noted that Hageman was absent during the Wyoming GOP central committee meeting earlier this year to censure Cheney for her vote to impeach Trump.
Letting a fox into the hen house is pattern that many believe undermined Trump’s troubled presidency from the start. Carbon County Republican Party Chairman Joey Correnti, who was a prime mover in pushing for Cheney’s censure by the state GOP, told Bigfoot 99 he did not know how Hageman won Trump’s confidence.
Whether Hageman is a secret ally of Cheney, waiting to carry the congresswoman’s anti-Trump baton into the 2024 general election, remains to be seen. Hageman was asked by Fox News why she changed her mind about her long-time friend and chose to run against her.
Last night’s appearance with Laura Ingram was Hageman’s only national appearance yesterday. Meanwhile, the Carbon County Republican Party is holding a U.S. House Candidate forum one week from tonight at the Jeffery Center. It begins at 6 p.m. Correnti told Bigfoot 99 that as of yesterday neither Hageman nor Cheney had agreed to attend the forum.
