Politico reports that former President George W. Bush has been financially supporting the political campaigns of two Republican congresswomen who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. 

Those two congresswomen are none other than Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY). Both have earned the ire of Republicans across America – but not Bush – for their anti-Trump rhetoric.

Bush’s max donations

According to Politico’s report, Bush donated $5,800 to Cheney’s reelection campaign in 2021. That is the maximum donation that an individual can make. Bush, of course, is closely connected to Cheney through her father Dick Cheney, who was his vice president.

Bush also donated $2,900 to Murkowski in 2021. Again, that’s the maximum amount that an individual can make for a primary donation.

According to Politico, this is the first time that Bush donated to Cheney since 2016, and it is the first time that Bush donated to Murkowski, period. The outlet also claimed that these donations were Bush’s first donations of 2021. Both donations were made towards the end of the year.

Bush has responded by pointing out that he also donated to Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial campaign in Virginia as well as to the campaign of his nephew Goerge P. Bush for the attorney generalship of Texas.

But, as Politico correctly puts it, Bush’s donations to Cheney and Murkowski “are significant in their symbolism.”

Background

What are at odds here are the old Republican Party of Bush and the new Republican Party of Trump. Both Cheney and Murkowski have made it clear that they stand with the former by voting to impeach Trump and by their anti-Trump remarks, while Bush, with his donations, has made it clear that he stands with them.

Both Cheney and Murkowski are now facing Trump-backed challengers as a result. Murkowski is facing Kelly Tshibaka, Alaska’s former commissioner of administration, and Cheney is facing Harriet Hageman, the leading Republican candidate in her race.

Cheney, in particular, has dug an even deeper hole for herself by supporting and participating in the Democrats’ House “investigation” into the Capitol protests of January 6, 2021. Cheney, as a result of her anti-Trump stance, has been ousted from the GOP conference chair, and she is no longer recognized as a Republican by the Wyoming GOP.

It appears that both Cheney and Murkowski will have a difficult November. But, it is still unclear how likely it is that they will be unseated.

Both have raised significant money towards their reelections.