Barrasso: Up to House to Determine Liz Cheney's Fate

Sen. John Barrasso Tuesday sidestepped questions over whether his fellow Wyoming lawmaker, Rep. Liz Cheney, should be removed from her party leadership post in the House over her continued criticism of former President Donald Trump, but did call for GOP unity in fighting against President Joe Biden's agenda.

Cheney, R-Wyo., chairs the House Republican Conference while Barrasso, also R-Wyoming, chairs the party conference in the Senate, but he told Fox News' "America Reports" that it is up to the House, not the Senate, to decide if Cheney should keep her post.

"I chair the conference in the Senate," said Barrasso. "We are focused on the future and taking back the Senate in 2022. We need to be together as a team, facing the challenges coming from this administration."

Trump said in a statement on Monday that the 2020 election should be known as the "big lie," and Cheney came under more fire after tweeting that anyone claiming that the election was stolen is "spreading a big lie."

She reportedly doubled-down on her criticism of Trump's "notion the election is stolen," commenting during a private conference in Georgia for the American Enterprise Institute that his continued stance is a "poison in the bloodstream of our democracy."

Barrasso, though, said he's "focused on the future," but stressed that Biden's election was certified and that he voted to certify the vote.

"There are always irregularities," he said. "I am fighting what the Democrats are doing. We need to make it harder to cheat in further elections."

Meanwhile, Barrasso said that he does believe Trump "brings incredible energy" to GOP voters and the party, along with the fight against the Biden administration.

"I welcome that energy and see that in Wyoming every day," said the senator. "We can make Joe Biden into a half-term president by stopping (Democrats) from taking the House and Senate."

Meanwhile, Cheney will not be up for election until next December, and the filing deadline for her seat is not for another year.

"I get asked this a lot in Wyoming," he said. "We are working together every day fighting this administration, specifically with what Joe Biden is doing against the economy and jobs of Wyoming and the people who live in our state."

Barrasso also commented about the continued issues with China, and said the United States must be able to "defeat them on the battlefield of the 21st century."

"They steal trade secrets and bully their neighbors," said Barrasso. "The director of national intelligence warned the president that China is targeting the United States in terms of our defense and our energy and in terms of our finances. Joe Biden sent John Kerry to China to try to cut a deal on climate. And China is trying to cut our throats on everything else."

Meanwhile, there are steps the U.S. could take if China tries to retake Taiwan.

"Rather than show that hand right now, I will tell you that China wants to become the military and economic and technology superpower of the world," he said.