Former President Donald Trump targets Rep. Liz Cheney at Wyoming rally

Thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump jumped out of their seats and held up their phones as he took the stage on Saturday afternoon at a rally in support of Harriet Hageman, an attorney running to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney in the upcoming Republican primary. 

The crowd, which nearly filled up the Ford Wyoming Center, an arena with a 9,700-person capacity, welcomed Trump with a long, standing ovation, thunderous applause, and chants of “USA.”

“The people of Wyoming are going to vote to dump your RINO congresswoman Liz Cheney,” Trump told the audience, which erupted with cheers, “And you’re going to send the incredible Harriet Hageman to Congress.” RINO is short for Republican in Name Only,

At the rally, Trump’s supporters, some of whom have previously voted for Cheney, poured scorn on her and echoed his disdain for the incumbent member of Congress.

“My opinion of her is treasonistic [sic]. I don’t feel she did her sworn duty in representing her constituents,” James West, a 40-year-old from Lander, said of Cheney.

“Disgrace to the Republican Party,” said Chris Sorge, 30. “Two-faced,” added Dallas Peasley, 31. “She might as well put a D in front of her name,” Obe Corbian, 48, said. Cheney’s a “RINO,” said Chelsea Roan, 36.

71-year-old Republican who lives in the small town of Pinedale, said he has no intention of backing Cheney, Wyoming’s lone member of Congress. His vote is for Hageman, “even if I gotta crawl to do it,” Lubeck said, pointing to his walking cane beside him.

“I don’t want to spit in front of you, but that’s what I do when I hear the name Liz,” he said with a laugh.

Cheney’s decision to criticize Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and vote with Democrats (and nine Republicans) to impeach him on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” has provoked the anger of some Trump supporters in a state that we won comfortably.