Republicans are said to be plotting to oust Liz Cheney from House leadership and replace her with a pro-Trump woman

• Republicans are said to be plotting to replace Rep. Liz Cheney in House leadership, Axios reported.
• It follows her sustained criticism of former President Donald Trump.
• Potential replacements include Reps. Elise Stefanik, Ann Wagner, and Jackie Walorski, Axios said.

House Republicans are said to be lining up replacements for the GOP leadership spot held by Rep. Liz Cheney following her sustained criticism of former President Donald Trump, Axios reported.

Cheney, the third-highest-ranking House Republican, has been a vocal critic of the former president and voted to impeach him in January.

Her most recent criticism of Trump came Monday, when she tweeted: "The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system."

Axios reported that House Republicans were considering introducing efforts to replace her with one of her female colleagues, including Reps. Elise Stefanik, Ann Wagner, and Jackie Walorski, none of whom joined Cheney in calling for Trump's impeachment.

Both Stefanik and Walorski objected to the Electoral College certification of the election in January.

The House Republicans are said to believe Cheney can't be succeeded by a white man and could move against her as soon as May 12, when the House Republican Conference next meets, Axios reported.

-Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 3, 2021

Cheney comfortably survived a GOP leadership vote in February following intense criticism over her decision to vote for Trump's impeachment.

But several factors have imperiled Cheney's leadership position since then, not least the continued efforts of Trump - who still exerts a viselike grip on the Republican Party - to ensure Cheney's political demise.

The schism between Cheney and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has also grown far more apparent since February, Insider's John L. Dorman reported.

McCarthy publicly backed Cheney to remain in her post in February but last week refused to offer the same endorsement, saying instead: "That's a question for the conference."

He also criticized Cheney in an interview with Politico last week, saying: "There's a responsibility, if you're going to be in leadership, leaders eat last. And when leaders try to go out, and not work as one team, it creates difficulties."

She was also intensely criticized by House colleagues for giving a fist bump to President Joe Biden last week.