GOP lawmaker says Cheney’s primary loss reveals ‘massive disconnect’ between politicians and Americans

Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) on Sunday said Rep. Liz Cheney’s defeat in her Wyoming Republican primary battle against a Trump-backed opponent last week reveals a “massive disconnect” between what Americans want and what politicians prioritize while in office.

Barr told NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd that Republicans are no longer concerned about the 2020 election or what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, which was evident in Cheney’s primary results.

“These congressional seats do not belong to politicians in Washington,” Barr said. “These seats belong to the American people. And there is a massive, massive disconnect between the priorities of politicians in Washington and the concerns of the American people.”

Cheney (R-Wyo.), who voted to impeach former President Trump and is one of only two Republicans serving on the House select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 rioting at the Capitol, was defeat by double-digit percentage points last Tuesday by Harriet Hageman, who has endorsed Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Despite the loss, Cheney has remained spirited and adamant that her most important job as an elected official has been to highlight Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitiol and his false claims the election was stolen. She remains committed to countering Trump’s influence in the GOP and is even potentially considering a run for the White House.

Still, Trump retains a tight grip on the Republican party, with many of his candidates winning primaries this year and a majority of his GOP opponents either retiring or losing key primary battles.

Republicans continue to hold a favorable view of Trump while sixty-nine percent of the nation has said the country should move on from the Capitol attack.

Barr on Sunday said heading into the midterm elections, Republicans are going to pick up seats because they are “laser focused on what the American people actually care about.”

“They’re talking about not being able to afford putting food on the table, putting gas in their trucks, ” he said. “That’s what the American people care about. And politicians who obsess about the past are not in touch with the American people.”