Former Republican Representative Liz Cheney made headlines on Thursday by publicly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Ripon, Wisconsin, marking a significant moment in the political landscape as the nation approaches the upcoming elections. Cheney, who has never voted for a Democrat before, expressed her reasons for backing Harris by reflecting on the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
“I tell you, I have never voted for a Democrat, but this year, I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Cheney stated, aiming to sway swing voters away from former President Donald Trump. She highlighted Trump’s actions during the Capitol riots, declaring that anyone capable of such actions “can never be trusted with power again.”
Cheney condemned Trump, saying, “Donald Trump was willing to sacrifice our Capitol, to allow law enforcement officers to be beaten and brutalized in his name, and to violate the law and the Constitution in order to seize power for himself.” Her remarks were met with cheers from the audience.
The event is part of Cheney’s broader strategy to appeal to undecided voters and prevent Trump from returning to the White House. Last month, she endorsed Harris in North Carolina and has indicated her intent to campaign against Trump in battleground states.
During the event, Harris appealed to Republican and independent voters, urging them to join Cheney in standing up for democratic principles. “If people across Wisconsin and our nation are willing to do what Liz is doing to stand up for the rule of law, for our democratic ideals and the Constitution of the United States, then together, I know we can chart a new way forward,” she stated.
As Cheney campaigned with Harris, Trump responded by disparaging her on Fox News, criticizing her previous electoral defeat to a Trump-backed candidate. “Well, Liz Cheney lost for Congress. She was terrible,” he remarked, continuing to label her a “stupid war hawk” and suggesting their joint campaign was detrimental.
Cheney’s opposition to Trump, including her vote to impeach him, led to her removal as House GOP conference chair. She later served as vice chair of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack.
In response to Cheney’s support for Harris, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt pointed to Cheney’s past criticism of Harris’s policies, highlighting a social media post in which Cheney described Harris’s voting record as “more liberal than Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren.”
Despite acknowledging significant policy differences with Harris, Liz Cheney emphasized the importance of defending democracy and the Constitution in this election. “Those of us who believe in the defense of our democracy… have a duty to come together to put those things above politics,” she explained.
Several prominent Republicans have joined Cheney in supporting Harris, including her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney; former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger; former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan; and former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake. Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide, recently endorsed Harris, stating, “The quality of character is what I’m voting for.”
Sarah Matthews, Trump’s former deputy press secretary, expressed similar sentiments, indicating her surprise at the current political climate and her belief that Trump is unfit to serve as president again.
Cheney has consistently worked to counter Trump’s influence in elections, notably endorsing moderate Democrats and supporting anti-Trump candidates during the 2022 midterms.
