WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said Wednesday she would endorse Kamala Harris for president, ending weeks of speculation about the extent to which the member of a GOP dynasty turned Trump critic would embrace the Democratic ticket.
Cheney, who co-chaired the House investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, became a fierce critic of Trump and was ousted in her 2022 Republican primary in Wyoming as a result. She made her announcement at an event at Duke University. In a video posted to the social media network X, she concluded by talking about the “danger” she believes Trump still poses to the country.
“I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing down candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” she said. “As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I’ve thought deeply about this. Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only will I not be voting for Donald Trump, I’m going to be voting for Kamala Harris.”
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney, has been perhaps Trump’s most prominent Republican critic. She joins fellow Republicans including her former Jan. 6 committee member, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger and former Rep. Denver Riggleman as Harris’ supporters. More than 200 alumni of the Bush administration and former Republican presidential campaigns of the late Sen. John McCain and Sen. Mitt Romney also announced their support for Harris last week.
Cheney was the Republican leader in the House of Representatives at the time of the January 6 attack, but broke with most of her caucus over Trump’s accountability. She lost her leadership position and was one of the few Republicans willing to serve on the January 6 committee, which was appointed by Democrats who controlled the House at the time.
