Rep. Liz Cheney Brought to Tears by Standing Ovation in Her Home State of Wyoming
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Win McNamee/Getty Liz Cheney
On Sunday, Rep. Liz Cheney, 56, received a standing ovation at the groundbreaking ceremony for Mineta-Simpson Institute at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Powell, Wyoming.
The foundation who built the facility "shares the legacy of Heart Mountain, where over 14,000 people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during World War II." The facility was built in honor of politicians Al Simpson and the late Norm Mineta.
Among the crowd members were Simpson, Mineta's widow, and Cheney's father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, 81, who served under President George W. Bush. As the crowd stood and applauded Cheney, tears came to her eyes.
That night she retweeted photos of her verklempt in front of the audience. Her caption included a tribute to Norm Mineta and Al Simpson, writing "their lifelong friendship showed what it means to put country ahead of party."
It was my honor to be part of the @HeartMountainWY Pilgrimage, and to celebrate Norm Mineta & Al Simpson, who met at the camp as young boys when Norm and his family were incarcerated there during WWII. Their lifelong friendship showed what it means to put country ahead of party. https://t.co/o8YlAHL3a9
— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) July 31, 2022
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"There are some things that are above politics," Cheney said in her speech at the event. "The friendship of Norm and Al really represents what this nation can be and what this nation should be and represents to people who have policy disagreements but had a bond that went beyond that."
Cheney served as vice chair of the House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and former President Donald Trump's role. Despite being pushed to the outside of the Republican Party, Cheney told The New York Times that her role on the Jan. 6 committee "is the most important thing I've ever done professionally," adding, "and maybe the most important thing I ever do."
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The Wyoming representative has rarely campaigned in her home state due to security concerns given her vocal investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump won close to 70% of the state's vote in the 2020 election and has endorsed Cheney's opponent, Harriet Hageman.
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In two weeks, on Aug. 16, Cheney will face Hageman in the Republican primary. Cheney faces an uphill battle, as Republicans in Wyoming voted to strip Cheney of her party affiliation last November. Hageman currently holds a 22-point lead over Cheney, as reported by the Casper Star-Tribune.
