| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | |  Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) gives a concession speech to supporters during a primary night event on August 16, 2022 in Jackson, Wyoming. | Getty Images | AND THEN THERE WERE TWO — Of the 10 House Republicans who bucked their party and standard bearer of the new GOP to vote to impeach the-President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection, just two are left with a chance to return to Congress next year. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the leading critic of Trump within the Republican party, was toppled last night by primary challenger Harriet Hageman, who embraced Trump and won his endorsement. Cheney is the fourth impeachment Republican to lose a primary this cycle. Four others chose retirement over a bruising reelection effort.
- Retiring: Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.)
- Primary losers: Cheney, Reps. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.)
The last men standing are Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), who succeeded in primaries but still must survive a general election. "I have said since Jan. 6 that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Donald Trump is never again anywhere near the Oval Office, and I mean it," Cheney said at the close of her concession speech in Jackson, Wyoming, last night. "This primary election is over, but now the real work begins," she said. What that "real work" is, still isn't clear. In the near term, Cheney will return to Capitol Hill for more Jan. 6 select committee hearings. She could mount a bid for the White House, though either a GOP primary or independent run would be long shots. Our friends at Playbook scooped that Cheney will launch a new organization in the coming weeks "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 spokesperson Jeremy Adler told Playbook. Olivia was at Cheney's election night event and digs into what could be next: 2024 preview? Cheney telegraphs her next shot at Trump. More on Cheney's loss: In defeat, Cheney chides Trump and invokes history, from Mayah Ward and Olivia How did Hageman topple a dynastic onetime rising GOP star? With a lot of help from team Trump. "It was an unusually disciplined effort by Trump's political orbit — a far-flung, often chaotic constellation of operatives whose disorganization, fueled by Trump's impulsiveness, has often impeded their attempts to influence campaigns. This time, the well-organized Trump forces swamped Cheney, who by the end appeared less focused on surviving her reelection fight than embracing a high-profile national role as a Trump critic," writes Alex Isenstadt.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, August 17, where at least you're not a one-term former congressman under federal indictment (more on that below). GONZALES ESCAPES CENSURE — Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) was facing a potential censure by his local Republican Party over his support for the bipartisan gun safety legislation passed in the wake of the massacre of schoolchildren in Uvalde, his district. But the Republican Party of Bexar County on Tuesday voted down a proposal to start the reprimand process. Gonzales and Sen. John Cornyn, who was a critical player in brokering the deal on gun safety, were the only two Texas Republicans to support its passage. Andrea Drusch at The San Antonio Report has more: Bexar GOP decides against censure of Tony Gonzales, John Cornyn for gun law votes ' Also in Texas… Texas county's entire election staff steps down, citing death threats and stalking, by Megan Rodriguez at the San Antonio Express-News WHERE ARE THEY NOW — In trouble, is the answer for former Rep. TJ Cox. The FBI arrested the California Democrat Tuesday on dozens of charges, including 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud, and one count of campaign contribution fraud. Prosecutors allege Cox ran two different schemes and diverted more than $1.7 million from client payments, company loans and investments which he solicited and then stole. Campaign cash: Some of that cash went to funding Cox's successful 2018 bid for the House, including a $25,000 illegal straw donor scheme. Anthony was already deep into Fresno County Sheriff's Office public records before the Justice Department dropped the announcement yesterday. Here's the story. ENDLESS FRAUD IN PANDEMIC PROGRAMS — Congress approved mountains of funding for pandemic aid in the early months of the crisis. Urgency and speed outweighed oversight. "The result: one of the largest frauds in American history, with billions of dollars stolen by thousands of people, including at least one amateur who boasted of his criminal activity on YouTube. Now, prosecutors are trying to catch up," reports David A. Fahrenthold for The New York Times. More than 450 people have been convicted for defrauding pandemic-aid programs, of 1,500 people charged so far. But there are a mountain of cases and tips that the F.B.I., the Secret Service, the Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service are still chasing, THE VOGUE TREATMENT — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be in the September issue of Vogue, with photos at the Lincoln Memorial by Annie Leibovitz and writing by Imeime Imana: The Grace and Promise of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | | Swept under the rug… Whatever secrets the Senate has swept under the carpet, they may just come to light. The carpet in the Senate chamber is being replaced over the recess. (Remember last week when Jordain's keen eye noticed the 100 missing desks? Mystery solved.) Once the old carpet is removed, staff will inspect the underlying flooring and do any repairs necessary. People familiar with the project say they expect work on the floors will be minimal, if needed at all. That mom hype… Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) is hyping her daughter's new album, which Pitchfork calls "frantic, experimental pop" with "jazzy chords and wonderfully bleary vocals." QUICK LINKS Carolyn Maloney's Campaign Pitch: A Man Can't Do My Job, by Nick Fandos at The New York Times TRANSITIONS Megan Quinn is now communications director for Rep. Mike Carey (D-Ohio). She previously worked as comms director for Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) Louie Kahn is now the Progressive Policy Institute's congressional communications fellow, supporting the office of the New Democrat Coalition. Louie was previously a digital communications fellow at PPI and is currently studying to earn his Masters Degree in Public Policy at the George Washington University. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. AROUND THE HILL Quiet for now.
| | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Lorraine Tong correctly answered that the 18th president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. His name was submitted incorrectly as U.S. Grant to West Point by Rep. Thomas L. Hamer, who nominated him. It stuck. TODAY'S QUESTION: How many commemorative coins have been authorized by Congress since 1892? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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