House Republicans on Wednesday night voted to keep Rep. Liz Cheney as their No. 3 leader.
The vote, which Cheney won 145-61, was forced by a faction of conservatives upset about her support for impeaching former President Donald Trump.
Cheney, a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, was just one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last month.
At a meeting earlier Wednesday attended by her GOP colleagues, Cheney stood her ground.
“I won’t apologize for the vote,” she said, a source told The Associated Press.
During a break in that closed-door session, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters he’d defended Cheney inside.
“People can have differences of opinion. That’s what you can have a discussion about,” he said. “Liz has a right to vote her conscience.”
A House GOP leadership aide called the vote “a resounding win and affirmation for [Cheney]. And a significant blow for the Trump wing/House Freedom Caucus who talked a big game and claimed they had votes.”
“Clearly they didn’t. They took their shot and missed badly,” the aide added.
With Post wires