Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President and lifelong Republican, has announced his decision to support Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, in the upcoming presidential election. Cheney, known for his influence during George W. Bush’s presidency, stated that there had never been a greater threat to the republic than Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee.
Cheney expressed concerns about Trump being the greatest threat to the republic in the nation’s 248-year history, citing his attempt to overturn the previous election with lies and violence after losing. Cheney emphasized the importance of placing the country above partisanship to defend the Constitution, which led to his decision to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to Cheney, Trump had attempted to overturn the previous election results through lies and violence after being rejected by voters. Cheney stressed that Trump could never be trusted with power again.
Dick Cheney support welcomed by Harris campaign
The Harris campaign welcomed Cheney’s support, with campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon acknowledging his courage in putting the country above party politics. Cheney’s endorsement adds him to a growing number of Republicans voicing concerns about Trump’s candidacy. His daughter, Liz Cheney, had already endorsed Harris. Liz served on the House select committee investigating the 6 January Capitol riots and was one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the event. She lost her congressional seat in 2022 to a Trump-endorsed opponent.
In response to Cheney’s statement, Trump took to social media, dismissing him as an “irrelevant RINO” and labeling him the “King of Endless, Nonsensical Wars,” referencing Cheney’s involvement in the Iraq War.
This support for Harris marks a surprising shift for Cheney, a staunch conservative who served as vice president under George W. Bush and held leadership roles in the House Republican Caucus. Cheney had been critical of both Trump and his party following the January 6 attack, calling Trump a threat to the republic and labeling him a coward in a campaign ad for his daughter’s reelection.
Liz Cheney leads the opposition
Earlier, his daughter, former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, had informed a Texas audience of her father’s intention to back Harris. Liz Cheney’s vocal opposition to Trump and her decision to vote for his impeachment after the 2020 election led to her losing her leadership position as the No. 3 House Republican. She was later replaced by Elise Stefanik, a Trump supporter.
Liz Cheney went on to serve as vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot, eventually losing her congressional seat to a Trump-backed challenger.
On Friday, Liz Cheney argued that Trump and Vance were alienating Reagan Republicans and moving away from the values of peace through strength and national defense. She criticized the Republican Party for not only whitewashing Trump’s actions but also embracing them.
In explaining her decision to support Harris, Liz Cheney acknowledged her policy disagreements with the vice president but stressed the need to prioritize the defense of democracy and the Constitution in the current election cycle. Additionally, she endorsed Democrat Colin Allred’s campaign to unseat Republican Senator Ted Cruz in Texas.
Dick Cheney: A war supporter?
During his time in office, Dick Cheney supported a catastrophic and unnecessary war, violated the privacy of millions of Americans, and aimed to expand presidential authority and immunity. At the time, he contributed to undermining democracy. However, it appears that even Donald Trump now offends Cheney’s sensibilities.
The former vice president for George W. Bush in an advertisement for his daughter’s 2022 congressional campaign had criticized Trump, calling him a “coward.”
Liz Cheney, while addressing Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, strongly criticized them, referring to them as misogynistic. She expressed her hope that their true character would become evident during the upcoming debates, as the audience responded with enthusiasm.
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Conservatives endorsing Harris over Trump
Jim McCain, the son of the late U.S. Senator John McCain, recently announced that he is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
McCain, who had previously been an independent, switched his voter registration to Democrat a month ago. He explained that he is voicing his support for Harris following reports that Trump’s staffers allegedly had a dispute with Arlington National Cemetery personnel regarding campaign activity restrictions.
McCain joins a growing number of individuals with professional or familial ties to the Republican Party who have publicly opposed Trump.
In an open letter, 238 former aides to Republican presidential nominees, including those who worked for George W. Bush, John McCain, or Senator Mitt Romney, endorsed Harris.
A similar group, consisting of around 150 alumni of Republican presidential nominees, had backed President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. They attributed Biden’s victory in swing states to moderate Republicans and conservative independents, urging the same voters to support Harris against Trump.
The letter noted that while they had significant ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz, they considered the alternative to be unacceptable.
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