GOP leader McCarthy will vote to oust Cheney

The House of Representatives' Republican leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News on Sunday that Liz Cheney, the chamber's third most powerful Republican, had failed to display a united front against Democrats, in the latest sign that she will likely be ousted as the House Republican Conference chair in a vote expected later this week.

Cheney's repeated criticism of former President Donald Trump's falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from him has put her on thin ice with other leaders in her party.

When asked if he supported Representative Elise Stefanik for Cheney's position, McCarthy replied: "Yes, I do."

Stefanik, a 36-year-old from New York state who defended Trump during his first impeachment, is also supported by No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise and by Trump himself.

Many GOP lawmakers, including Senator Lindsey Graham, believe they cannot retake control of the House and Senate in 2022 without Trump's support, even though the party lost the House, the Senate and the White House during his presidency.

On Sunday, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that it's going to take everyone in his divided party, including "those who feel as Liz" does, to win back congressional seats in 2022 and beyond.

Cheney's future as a Republican leader is expected to be decided on Wednesday in a secret ballot by the House Republican caucus.