GOP Sen. Cassidy questions RNC censure of Kinzinger, Cheney

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is questioning why the Republican National Committee (RNC) is moving to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), prominent critics of former President Trump who are both serving on the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

"The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th," Cassidy wrote in a tweet. "HUH?"

Cassidy is one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump on an impeachment charge for his actions ahead of the mob attack on the Capitol a year ago.

Trump and Jan. 6 itself have badly divided the GOP as Trump continues to wield enormous influence within the party.

Kinzinger is leaving the House at the end of his term, while Cheney is facing a primary opponent supported by the former president. Cheney also was kicked out of the House Republican leadership team.

In the Senate, the divisions over Trump have been more muted than those in the House, but Trump has repeatedly criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). McConnell did not vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, but did starkly criticize the former president in a floor speech for his actions.

The RNC is expected to consider the resolution to censure the two Republicans at its winter meeting on Friday.

In a statement on the RNC resolution, Kinzinger said he is now "even more committed to fighting conspiracies and lies."

"I'm a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump," Cheney said in a statement on Thursday.