Bush to headline fundraiser for Cheney after Trump backs foe

2 years ago 202

NEW YORK – Former President George W. Bush volition header a fundraiser adjacent period for apical Donald Trump professional Liz Cheney, turning her reelection contention into a proxy warfare of sorts betwixt the ex-presidents who correspond 2 competing factions of the Republican Party.

Bush volition beryllium the featured impermanent astatine an Oct. 18 lawsuit successful Dallas supporting the Wyoming congresswoman's reelection campaign, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the plans who was not authorized to sermon the fundraiser by sanction and spoke to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

Cheney, a girl of Bush's two-term vice president, Dick Cheney, was the astir salient House Republican to ballot to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol building. She has since emerged arsenic 1 of his astir vocal antagonists, and Trump has vowed to nonstop his revenge.

Bush's engagement puts the 2 erstwhile Republican presidents straight astatine likelihood and underscores the heavy hostility that remains wrong the enactment betwixt Trumpism and the GOP's constitution wing.

Earlier this month, Trump announced his support for Cheney challenger Harriet Hageman, a Wyoming lawyer looking to unseat the three-term congresswoman.

Bush spokesperson Freddy Ford said successful a connection that Bush “has historically helped a fewer cardinal candidates and friends each cycle, truthful this 1 shouldn’t travel arsenic immoderate surprise."

"President Bush is impressed by Liz Cheney’s spot and vision, and he’s arrogant to enactment her,” helium added.

Cheney’s run did not instantly respond to requests for remark Wednesday connected the value of the fundraiser and Bush aides did not remark connected immoderate imaginable aboriginal plans to run connected the congresswoman's behalf.

While Bush has mostly kept a debased illustration since leaving bureau successful 2009, helium delivered a pointed speech earlier this period connected the 20th day of the 9/11 attacks successful which helium warned of the country's increasing interior part and a “violence that gathers within.”

“There is small taste overlap betwixt convulsive extremists overseas and convulsive extremists astatine home,” helium said arsenic helium delivered the keynote code astatine the nationalist memorial to the victims of Flight 93 successful Shanksville, Pennsylvania. “But successful their disdain for pluralism, successful their disregard for quality life, successful their determination to defile nationalist symbols, they are children of the aforesaid foul spirit. And it is our continuing work to face them.”

The informing came 8 months aft the convulsive insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters attempting to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's triumph successful the 2020 election. It marked immoderate of Bush’s sharpest disapproval of that onslaught and appeared to beryllium an implicit disapproval of Trump’s marque of politics.

Trump, a longtime professional of Bush who ran connected opposing the country's wars successful the Middle East, responded to the code by slamming Bush for suggesting “terrorists connected the ‘right’ are a bigger occupation than those from overseas countries that hatred America, and that are pouring into our Country close now.”

“He shouldn’t beryllium lecturing america astir anything,” helium said successful a statement. “The World Trade Center came down during his watch. Bush led a failed and uninspiring presidency. He shouldn’t beryllium lecturing anybody!”

Cheney was ousted from her enactment presumption arsenic the No. 3 House Republican for taking connected Trump but has nevertheless posted immense fundraising numbers, with two consecutive grounds quarters, according to fiscal reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

That includes bringing successful $1.88 cardinal from April done June and $1.54 cardinal successful the archetypal 3 months of 2021, reports show.

Trump has endorsed respective different Republicans challenging GOP incumbents who voted to impeach him. That includes Kelly Tshibaka, who is moving against Sen. Lisa Murkowski successful Alaska; Michigan authorities Rep. Steve Carra, who is trying to unseat longtime Rep. Fred Upton; and Joe Kent, who is challenging Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler successful Washington.

Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio announced past week helium volition beryllium retiring alternatively of moving for reelection adjacent twelvemonth against a Trump-backed opponent.

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