Former Congressmember Liz Cheney recently announced that she would cross party lines and vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
During a Sept. 4 moderated discussion about democracy at Duke University in North Carolina, Cheney warned of the “danger” a second Trump term represents.
“Because we are in North Carolina, I think it is crucially important for people to recognize that not only is what I’ve just said about the danger Trump poses something that should prevent people from voting for him—but I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states.
“As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.”
The crowd applauded and stood on their feet after her announcement.
“The vice president is proud to have earned Congresswoman Cheney’s vote,” said Harris-Walz 2024 Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon in a statement. “She is a patriot who loves this country and puts our democracy and our Constitution first. As she noted in her powerful remarks, this election is a choice between the fundamental threat Donald Trump poses to our democracy and a leader who will stand up for our freedoms and the rule of law in Vice President Harris.
“Vice President Harris will be a president for all Americans, regardless of political party,” continued the statement. “For any American who is looking to reject the chaos and division of Donald Trump, turn the page, and pursue a new way forward that protects our freedoms and defends the American values we all believe in.”
Liz Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, was once in lockstep with Trump. She voted with him over 90% of the time in Congress. But she emerged as a key critic of Trump after he incited an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She voted to impeach Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in which he lost to President Joe Biden.
She also served as the vice chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. Subsequently, she lost her House leadership position and her seat in Wyoming during the 2022 Republican primary election. She is now a professor at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
“Cheney joins countless others who are putting country over party in this election,” the Harris-Walz campaign said in a statement. Cheney’s endorsement follows high-profile endorsements from Republicans at the Democratic National Convention, including former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois; former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan; former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham; and former advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye.
Most recently, Jimmy McCain, the son of the late Sen. John McCain, endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket and switched to the Democratic party. Retired four-star General Larry Ellis; and more than 230 former Republican staffers who served under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush also announced endorsements for the Walz-Harris ticket in recent days.
Political pundits have speculated that Cheney might join forces with the Harris-Walz campaign in the upcoming days, either in ads or on the campaign trail.