Aug. 16, 2022: Liz Cheney's day of reckoning

When it comes to dealing with Donald Trump, plenty of Republicans have chosen sycophancy — backing him no matter what. Others pick their spots, delivering an occasional critique alongside heapings of praise. Others just keep their heads down and hope for the best. And then there’s Liz Cheney.

A three-term congresswoman from the least populous state in the union, Cheney walked into Congress the same month that Trump walked into the Oval Office. During his presidency, she voted with Trump more than 90% of the time.

Now she’s the Republican face of the anti-Trump movement, a position she has cemented as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, and it will likely cost Cheney her political career — at least for now. 

Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter

Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.
Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.