Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan slammed the Republican National Committee (RNC) Friday for censuring Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.
“The GOP I believe in is the party of freedom and truth,” the governor tweeted on Friday. “It’s a sad day for my party—and the country—when you’re punished just for expressing your beliefs, standing on principle, and refusing to tell blatant lies.”
The RNC unanimously voted Friday to pass a resolution alleging that the participation of Cheney and Kinzinger in the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot constituted “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.” (RELATED: ‘I’m Not Going To Let Donald Trump Win’: Adam Kinzinger Says He Won’t Let Trump Continue To ‘Hijack’ His Party)
The committee, as a result, announced cutting short “any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party,” dubbing their actions as “destructive.”
The GOP I believe in is the party of freedom and truth.
It’s a sad day for my party—and the country—when you’re punished just for expressing your beliefs, standing on principle, and refusing to tell blatant lies.
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) February 4, 2022
Hogan, who cannot seek re-election at the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election due to term limits, joined a group of other Republicans who questioned the RNC’s decision.
“The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th – HUH?” Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said late Thursday.
Mike DuHaime, a former political director for the RNC, called the committee’s plans to censure the long-time critics of former President Donald Trump “insane” ahead of the Friday vote.
“As the former chairman of the Republican party, I cannot express enough my condemnation of this pathetic act of cowardice taken by its current leadership to censure @Liz_Cheney and @RepKinzinger. You are wrong. I stand with Liz and Adam,” former RNC chairman Micheal Steele tweeted.