A few Republicans have resisted Trump's influence, but the vast majority has fallen in line even as Trump continues to spread disinformation about the 2020 election.
Tossing aside Cheney could help mend McCarthy's own tattered relationship with the former president, who fondly called him “My Kevin,” as he aims to become House speaker.
The treatment of Cheney suggests GOP leaders will do almost anything to rally the party’s base, even if that means embracing Trump’s ongoing lie that he won the 2020 election.
"History is watching," Cheney wrote. "Our children are watching. We must be brave enough to defend the basic principles that underpin and protect our freedom and our democratic process. I am committed to doing that, no matter what the short-term political consequences might be."