Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, will vote for Kamala Harris for president, he introduced Friday.
Liz Cheney, who herself endorsed Harris on Wednesday, first introduced her father’s endorsement when requested by Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic journal throughout an onstage interview at The Texas Tribune Competition in Austin.
“Wow,” Leibovich replied because the viewers cheered.
Like his daughter, Dick Cheney has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, notably throughout Liz Cheney’s ill-fated reelection marketing campaign in 2022.
Dick Cheney put out a press release Friday confirming his endorsement, which learn virtually completely as opposition to Trump slightly than help of Harris.
“He can by no means be trusted with energy once more,” the assertion mentioned. “As residents, we every have an obligation to place nation above partisanship to defend our Structure. That’s the reason I shall be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Trump responded on his Reality Social platform by calling the previous vp “an irrelevant RINO, alongside along with his daughter.” The acronym stands for “Republican in identify solely.”
Requested for remark, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung mentioned, “Who’s Liz Cheney?”
The marketing campaign confirmed Cheung was being sarcastic by additionally pointing to a remark Liz Cheney posted on-line 4 years in the past through which she referred to as Harris a “radical liberal.”
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’ marketing campaign chair, launched a press release saying, “The Vice President is proud to have the help of Vice President Cheney, and deeply respects his braveness to place nation over social gathering.”
Dick Cheney, 83, has made few if any public appearances over the previous 12 months or extra. He has handled coronary heart points since his 40s and underwent a coronary heart transplant in 2012.
Dick Cheney’s assertion Friday was just like a 2022 marketing campaign advert for Liz Cheney as she sought a fourth time period as Wyoming’s lone congressperson. In it, he referred to as Trump a “coward” for attempting to “steal the final election utilizing lies and violence to maintain himself in energy after the voters had rejected him.”
The advert did little good for his daughter in a deep-red state that when held the Cheney household expensive however is now completely in Trump’s nook. By a greater than 2-to-1 margin, Liz Cheney misplaced her Republican main to Trump-endorsed legal professional Harriet Hageman.
Dick Cheney has been pals with Democrats over time however by no means supported one for president.
Each Cheneys backed Trump in 2016, however after Liz Cheney criticized Trump international coverage choices and Trump criticized the “limitless wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq launched when Dick Cheney was vp, their help waned.
If both Cheney supported Trump in 2020, they have been mum about it. In the meantime, their dwelling state of Wyoming that 12 months delivered Trump his widest margin of victory.
By 2021, Liz Cheney’s vote to question Trump and her investigation into him for the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot made them irredeemable to Trump — and shortly a lot of the GOP.
There have been exceptions. One was Cheney ally Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Republican Trump critic who earlier this 12 months endorsed Biden and spoke in help of Harris on the Democratic Nationwide Conference in August.
A number of different prime Republicans have come out in help of Harris whereas some, together with Sen. Mitt Romney and former Vice President Mike Pence, say they will not be voting for Trump.
Of them solely Romney, who is just not in search of reelection, continues to be in workplace.
