Cheney releases audio of concession call refuting Hageman’s claims
Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday released audio of a concession call she made after Wyoming’s Republican primary to counter her opponent Harriet Hageman’s claims that she only received a “two-second message” from the vanquished incumbent.
Hageman, during an appearance Wednesday night on Fox News, told host Sean Hannity that she got a “brief two-second message on my cellphone” from Cheney Tuesday night as she prepared to give her acceptance speech.
“She just said, ‘Hello, Harriet,’ and then hung up?” Hannity asked.
“That was the end of the call, yes,” Hageman answered. “That was the only time. It was about 8:15 last night and I was just getting ready to go on stage with my acceptance speech and I didn’t have an opportunity to visit with her.”
But audio of the voicemail Cheney provided to Politico challenges that assertion.
“Hi, Harriet, it is Liz Cheney calling,” Cheney is heard on the audio moments after an aide tells her that the AP called the race for Hageman. “It is about 8:13 on Tuesday the 16th, I’m calling to concede the election and congratulate you on the win. Thanks.”
Hageman’s campaign in response released a video showing that it received a voicemail from Cheney that only said, “Howdy Harriet,” followed by silence until the call ends about 10 seconds later.
Cheney, who lost to Trump-backed Hageman by more than 35 percentage points, later told Politico that she has tried to reach her challenger three times but eventually left a voicemail before heading out to give her concession speech.
She said she never heard back from Hageman.
Cheney drew a primary challenger after she angered former President Donald Trump by voting to impeach him in 2021 for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney also serves as the vice chair on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot.
