US Liz Cheney loses Wyoming Republican primary to Trump-backed candidate

US Representative Liz Cheney, a vocal critic of Donald Trump, lost the Republican Party primary to run again for Congress to Harriet Hageman, a lawyer endorsed by the former president, NBC News projected on Tuesday.

Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, has held the seat since 2017.

However, she attracted Trump's ire after voting for his impeachment last year and playing a leading role on the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol. 

After losing her Tuesday night primary, Cheney broadened her attack on Trump, saying the former president was spreading an "insidious lie" in alleging that the FBI agents who searched his Florida home were politically motivated.

"This is another insidious lie," said the US Representative in a speech. She added that Trump "knows that embracing these conspiracies will trigger violence and threats of violence. This happened on January 6, and it's now happening again."

Harriet Hageman, the victorious rival, said in a statement that she decided to run because Cheney "betrayed Wyoming, betrayed the country and she betrayed me".

Roughly 70 percent of Wyoming voted for Trump, and Cheney's rebuke of him became a red line for many in the state, according to NPR.