Paul Ryan to host fundraiser for Cheney amid GOP tensions

Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is slated to host a virtual fundraiser for House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) amid backlash she received for speaking out against former President Trump. 

To co-host, donors have been asked to pay $5,800, and $2,900 to attend the event, according to an invitation first obtained by Politico.  

The fundraiser comes as Cheney will face two primary challengers — Wyoming state Rep. Chuck Gray (R) and State Sen. Anthony Bouchard (R) — after the Wyoming representative voted to impeach Trump following the Capitol insurrection Jan. 6. 

Cheney has come under fire from a number of her GOP colleagues in the House. A group of conservative hardliners attempted to oust her from her leadership role following her criticism of Trump after he encouraged a group of his supporters to march to the Capitol to demand that Congress halt the certification of the 2020 election. 

Trump has repeatedly taken aim at Cheney, who broke with him in key foreign policy issues during his time in office. Earlier this year, Trump released a statement slamming Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and vowing to support primary candidates who aligned with Make America Great Again policies. 

“Get rid of them all,” Trump said during his recent speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Ryan also had a turbulent relationship with the former president during his time as House speaker, with Trump repeatedly attacking the Wisconsin Republican.  

Ryan’s decision to host the fundraiser comes at a time when the party grapples with the direction it should head in the post-Trump era.