‘Unfaithful’ McCarthy should not be House speaker, Cheney says

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy should not become speaker of the House, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"He's been completely unfaithful to the Constitution, and demonstrated a total lack of understanding of the significance and the importance of the role of speaker," Cheney said of McCarthy in response to a question about whether the country would be better off if the California Republican were to become the next speaker.

"So I don't believe he should be speaker of the House," Cheney said.

Cheney lost her statewide primary Tuesday to a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump, a defeat she has since aimed to frame as a new beginning in her opposition to Trump. Cheney has been outspoken about her opposition to Republican Party leadership and widespread election denial within her party, resulting in an uphill battle to keep her seat.

The day before the Wyoming primary, McCarthy told Fox News he expected her to lose — but that he wouldn't. "We’ll win the majority and I’ll be speaker," he said Monday.

The Wyoming representative also serves as a leader on the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, appointed by current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.