Former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney has endorsed Kamala Harris for president. The former lawmaker made the announcement Tuesday at an event at Duke University in North Carolina. The move makes her the latest Republican to publicly say she will not support Donald Trump.
“I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing down candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, told the crowd. “And as a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I’ve thought deeply about this and the danger that Donald Trump poses today. I’m not just not voting for Donald Trump, I’m voting for Kamala Harris.”
Cheney’s announcement, which was met with cheers from the crowd, adds her to the growing list of lifelong Republicans who will vote against Trump. In March, former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News that he would not support his former running mate in November, citing Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 and changes of course on issues such as forcing China to sell TikTok.
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Other prominent Republicans who voted against the party’s nomination include Adam Kinzinger, the former Republican representative from Illinois; Olivia Troye, who served in the Trump administration as Pence’s homeland security adviser; and Stephanie Grisham, one of Trump’s former press briefers, all of whom spoke at the recent Democratic national convention in Chicago. These appearances follow years of Republican establishment figures Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, known as “Never Trumpers,” lambasting Trump and the risks they see him as posing to the health of the nation.
On Tuesday, a day before Cheney’s announcement, Jimmy McCain, son of former Republican Sen. John McCain, said he would also vote for the Democratic nominee because of what he sees as Trump’s hostility and disrespect for the military.
“I care about my family, I care about equal rights for everyone in this country. I care about all of that, and you know, as much as I’ve remained independent, I decided it was time to move on and do what I believe in,” McCain told CNN on Tuesday.
Cheney has long been an opponent of Trump. In 2021, she was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6 riot. Weeks later, Cheney was voted out of her leadership role among Republicans in the House of Representatives. During a closed vote before her impeachment, Cheney was reportedly booed after criticizing Trump.
