Cheney to keep fighting Trump after loss, but unclear if she can wield influence over GOP or Dems: experts
Political experts say that it is unclear whether there's a lane or constituency for Cheney's political message
Rep. Liz Cheney has no plans to exit politics after her primary loss, but it's not clear she'll be able to wield the influence she wants in her declared mission to prevent former President Donald Trump from retaking power.
Cheney, R-Wyo., announced Wednesday, the day after her primary defeat, that she will start a new group aimed at opposing Trump. And a Federal Election Commission filing indicated that group will be a leadership PAC called "The Great Task," which is intended to be a channel for fundraising and other political activity for Cheney, as speculation continues about whether she'll run for president in 2024.
"You're looking at a margin of 29 [%] to 66 [%] she lost by. That's just a significant margin. And I think one of the challenges that exist clearly for her is her ability, rethinking her ability to effectively engage the electorate," GOP pollster David Winston of The Winston Group told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "When you're in your home state and you only get 29% of the primary vote, that's got to be troubling."
"In coming weeks, Liz will be launching an organization to educate the American people about the ongoing threat to our Republic, and to mobilize a unified effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for president," Cheney spokesman Jeremy Adler told Fox News Digital about her next steps.
Leadership PACs like this are common for potential presidential candidates. And Cheney herself is not tamping down on that speculation.
"This primary race is now over, but now the real work begins," she said in remarks conceding defeat to primary challenger Harriet Hageman on Tuesday.
But the Republican Party is still extremely aligned with Trump, as Tuesday's primary results indicate. And Cheney's voting record is closer to Trump and farther from Biden than her successor as House GOP conference chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., according to FiveThirtyEight.