Another top Republican publicly backs ousting Cheney as GOP conference chair

WASHINGTON — The battle at the top of the Republican Party entered a new front Wednesday as House Minority Whip Steve Scalise publicly backed Rep. Elise Stefanik to replace Rep. Liz Cheney as chair of the House Republican Conference.

“House Republicans need to be solely focused on taking back the House in 2022 and fighting against Speaker Pelosi and President Biden’s radical socialist agenda, and Elise Stefanik is strongly committed to doing that, which is why Whip Scalise has pledged to support her for conference chair,” Scalise’s spokeswoman, Lauren Fine, told NBC News.

This means the top two House Republican leaders — Scalise of Louisiana and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California — no longer have confidence in Cheney, clearing the way for her removal as the party’s third-ranking leader in the House. Cheney, of Wyoming, remains defiant and will not step down from her leadership role, her spokesman said.