The mainstream media heaped praise on Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in the aftermath of her primary defeat, blaming the "broken" Republican Party for her loss and fawning over her disdain for former President Trump.
Cheney, who lost to the Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman in Wyoming's Republican primary on Tuesday, has come out strongly against the former president and has played a key role as one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 investigative committee.
While Cheney has been accused of abandoning her party — her campaign even courted Democrats, urging them to switch parties, so they could vote for her in the primary — she believes that in following Trump and his stolen election claims, the GOP has lost its way. It seems that much of the mainstream media agrees with Cheney.
CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny declared it to be "the end of an era for the Cheneys in a very different Republican Party," while MSNBC’s John Heilemann fawned over Cheney’s future.
"People in her own party, people in the Democratic Party, people in the media, pay attention to her, listen to her, consider her a leader, talk about whether she might run for president one day," Heilemann said. "If you look at this from a larger picture, her very short career in Congress has been enormously successful."
CNN’s John Avlon rhetorically asked the audience how Trump’s election lies became the "GOP litmus test," which he believes ruined the party.
"That, in turn, floods our political system with hyperpartisan cowards and cranks. Just take a look at the 10 House GOP members who had the spine to stand up to Donald Trump’s election lies by voting for his impeachment," Avlon said as a graphic of Cheney and her peers appeared that indicated eight of the 10 are either retiring or lost primaries.
Over on ABC News, Cheney was praised for conceding, which the network noted was something Trump wouldn't do.
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Former GOP strategist Stuart Stevens appeared on CNN to declare that it’s a "mistake" to make Cheney’s loss about Trump.
"Ultimately, this is about the fact that Republicans were unwilling to lose," Stevens said. "Abandoning the concept of what it means to operate inside of a Democratic system."
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CNN’s Charlie Dent, a former House Republican, declared that Republicans who have "felt the wrath of Trump" are now well positioned to help "carry the mantle" going forward before another CNN pundit said courage is currently in "short supply" among Republicans.
"This is only the beginning of Liz Cheney’s battle," another MSNBC pundit said, while "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski called the party "broken."
"Their brains have been twisted in the cult of Trump," Brzezinski said. "They now say things that go against their very own core values."
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed tot this report.
