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Liz Cheney to fundraise for Blake Moore
Wyoming U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is hosting a fundraiser for Utah Rep. Blake Moore in Salt Lake City on October 4.
Moore was the only one of Utah’s four Republican House members to vote against stripping Cheney of her leadership position in the GOP Caucus in May. Cheney was ousted for refusing to go along with former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. She is one of two Republicans named to the House committee investigating that attack.
The $2,900 per person fundraiser isn’t the only appearance Cheney has recently made in Salt Lake City. The Wyoming congresswoman was here last week to raise money for her re-election bid, where she raised about $50,000. The fundraiser was hosted by Matt Waldrip, former chief of staff for Sen. Mitt Romney.
Waldrip says he hosted the small fundraiser for Cheney because he sees 2022 as a pivotal election.
“All nine of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the January 6 attack are being targeted for defeat by Trump world in a proxy war for control of the party. If they lose, it shows Trump’s hold on the party is strong, and I think he’ll run again. If they win, he may think twice about another presidential run,” Waldrip said.
“The Rundown” is told Sen. Mitt Romney stopped by the Cheney fundraiser, but
Moore holding a fundraiser with Cheney does present some political risk for Moore.
“What is he doing? Last time I looked, Trump had a 75% approval rating among Utah Republicans,” one prominent Utah GOP member said when they found out about Moore’s event.
Cheney has been a favorite target of Trump, who is backing a Republican opponent in Wyoming’s GOP primary next year. That feud got a little more intense when news broke former President George W Bush is hosting a fundraiser for Cheney in Dallas next month. On Thursday, Trump sent out an email statement with an extremely weird photoshop of Bush’s face on Cheney’s body.
Here’s what you need to know for Friday morning
🚨 Breaking overnight: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the oldest GOP senator at 88, will seek a seventh term. Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980. [WaPo]
🔍 The committee investigating the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack issued the first round of subpoenas to several of former President Donald Trump’s inner circle members. [Politico]
👀 A leaked report of the “audit” of election results in Maricopa County, Arizona, found that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a wider margin than initially reported. Supporters of Trump sought the investigation into the results to find evidence the election was fraudulent and the election was “stolen” from Trump. [Arizona Republic]
The Texas secretary of state announced an audit of that state’s election results after Trump called for one in a news release. [WaPo]
🏛 Congress is racing toward a debt limit showdown as the government is set to run out of money on Sept. 30. [WaPo]
The Office of Management and Budget is preparing for a possible government shutdown next week if Congress cannot reach a funding deal. [CNN]
🗳 Utah Democratic Party Chair Jeff Merchant announced he’s stepping down due to health reasons. [Tribune]
🦠 White House officials prioritized former President Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election over the response to the pandemic last winter, according to emails obtained by a House committee. [WaPo]
💉 The CDC says some adults can now get booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. The list includes people over 65, patients in long-term care centers, and high-risk individuals. The agency’s director also added frontline workers to the list of those eligible. [NYT]
🦠 Utah opens a new monoclonal antibody center in Davis County to ease some of the pressure off Utah’s stressed hospital system, but experts warn it’s not an alternative to vaccines. [Tribune]
😷 Teachers at Tooele High School were instructed not to confront students who refused to get tested for COVID-19 but came to class anyway. [Tribune]
Is the mask order in Salt Lake City’s schools making a difference in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19? Here’s a deep dive into the numbers. [Tribune]
🏠 Students at BYU celebrate changes to the school’s strict housing policy. After two semesters, students may live anywhere they choose. [Tribune]
🏛 The Tribune’s Robert Gehrke takes Sen. Mike Lee to task for comparing voter ID laws to requiring proof of age to enter a bar. [Tribune]
🇨🇳 China declares using cryptocurrency in financial transactions illegal. [WSJ]
⌨️ Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear at the Silicon Slopes Summit on October 13. [Tribune]
Utah Politics with Bryan Schott
On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Rep. Suzanne Harrison, D-Draper.
She says her Republican colleagues have needlessly politicized the response to COVID and vaccines.
Harrison also works as an anesthesiologist. She talks about how her colleagues are under increasing pressure, which is leading to burnout among medical professionals.
Friday morning’s Utah news roundup
Utah
Lt. Gov. Henderson, Utah leaders urged by Westwater community for access to water and electricity, again. [Tribune]
Report: BLM turns a blind eye to cattle grazing impacts, blames wild horses. [Tribune]
‘Majestic’ moose makes surprise visit to Weber State — until it runs into a road. [Tribune]
Moab launches investigation into police response to ‘domestic problem’ involving Petito, Laundrie. [Tribune]
Ironman World Championships triathlon to leave Hawaii for Utah because of COVID-19 concerns. [Tribune]
Education
Utah, Salt Lake Co. ask judge to reject K-12 mask lawsuit. [Fox 13]
COVID-19
15 more Utahns die of COVID-19 in the past day. [Tribune]
What parents need to know about COVID-19 vaccines for children. [Deseret News]
Politics
Utah political leaders believe Biden’s decision on Bears Ears boundaries is ‘imminent.’ [Fox 13]
In the opinion pages
Kane County would be foolish to use tax dollars to pay for a golf pipe dream. Robert Gehrke explains why. [Tribune]
Opinion: Six months later, the Legislature’s end to mask mandates looks foolish. [Deseret News]
Deeda Seed: Inland port’s runaway train needs to slow down. [Tribune]
Nate Jones: Business people should trust themselves, not government. [Tribune]
Linda F. Smith: Utah’s congressional districts should not be sliced like a pizza. Again. [Tribune]
🎂 You say it’s your birthday?!!
Happy birthday to Sen. Mike Kennedy, Rep. Brad Last, and Nichole Dunn, former chief of staff to former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams.
On Saturday, former state Sen. Lyle Hillyard celebrates another year, and Sunday is Rep. Angela Romero’s birthday.
Got a birthday you’d like us to recognize in this space? Send us an email.
— The Tribune’s Jordan Miller contributed to this report.
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