Trump endorses a Cheney challenger, aiming to unseat a chief detractor.

Politics|Trump endorses a Cheney challenger, aiming to unseat a main detractor.

• Sept. 9, 2021Updated 11:39 a.m. ET

Former President Donald J. Trump connected Thursday endorsed a superior challenger to Representative Liz Cheney, aiming to oust 1 of his fiercest Republican critics successful a contention that volition trial whether his power implicit the party’s basal remains beardown capable to extremity her family’s governmental dynasty successful Wyoming.

Mr. Trump threw his enactment down Harriet Hageman, a erstwhile Republican National Committee authoritative and a 2018 campaigner for politician successful Wyoming, successful a bid to consolidate his supporters down a azygous rival to the incumbent congresswoman.

The erstwhile president has for months taken an particularly keen involvement successful defeating Ms. Cheney successful the Wyoming contention adjacent year. She voted to impeach him implicit his relation successful the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, and has accused him of undermining ideology with his unwillingness to judge the results of the 2020 election.

Ms. Cheney’s outspoken disapproval of Mr. Trump — a rarity successful her enactment — caused a heavy rift with her Republican colleagues successful the House, and successful May they removed her arsenic their No. 3 successful the conference. The girl of erstwhile Vice President Dick Cheney, Ms. Cheney had erstwhile been seen arsenic a rising G.O.P. star, but she was replaced by Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, a formerly mean Republican who has go a Trump loyalist successful caller years, successful the House leadership.

This summer, Mr. Trump has met with imaginable challengers to Ms. Cheney astatine his play nine successful Bedminster, N.J. Some of his advisers fearfulness that aggregate viable challengers to Ms. Cheney would fracture the absorption and let her to past the 2022 race.

Ms. Hageman stepped down this week from her station arsenic a committeewoman connected the Republican National Committee.

In his connection endorsing Ms. Hageman, Mr. Trump said that she “adores the Great State of Wyoming, is beardown connected Crime and Borders, powerfully supports the Second Amendment, loves our Military and our Vets, and volition combat for Election Integrity and Energy Independence (which Biden has already fixed up).”

Mr. Trump made plain his dislike of Ms. Cheney’s disapproval of him successful the quality media, saying it was indispensable to regenerate the Democrats’ “number 1 supplier of dependable bites, Liz Cheney.”

The endorsement drew complaints adjacent earlier it was official. Catharine O’Neill, who writes for the blimpish website Newsmax and was considered different imaginable campaigner — and who tweeted a representation of herself with Mr. Trump past period — wrote connected Twitter connected Wednesday: “The Republican Establishment creeps astir Trump are truly bad. They are pushing him to marque atrocious decisions, due to the fact that they inactive don’t recognize wherefore Trump won successful 2016. Sad.”

Mr. Trump has announced 2 upcoming rallies, successful Iowa and Georgia, and has issued a spate of endorsements this month, often taking purpose astatine chap Republicans who person crossed oregon displeased him.

In Michigan, helium endorsed a authorities legislator, Steve Carra, who is challenging Representative Fred Upton, different Republican who voted to impeach Mr. Trump. In Washington State, helium is backing Joe Kent, a seasoned moving against Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, different Republican protagonist of the erstwhile president’s impeachment.

Ms. Cheney has been bullish astir her chances against a pro-Trump Republican challenger. “Bring it on,” she said connected the “Today” amusement successful May.