Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney on Sunday, encouraging anti-Trump Republicans and independents to consider voting for the vice president Kamala Harrisadding that writing to anyone other than the former president is “not enough” Donald Trump in the November elections.
“Given how close this race is, it’s still not enough in my opinion. “There are a lot of Republicans who are saying, ‘Well, you know, we’re not going to vote for him, but we’re going to write somebody else,'” Cheney said in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” It’s important to vote for Harris.”
When asked why he decided to support Harris, Cheney said that he had never voted for a Democrat in 40 years of voting, but that Trump was “fundamentally a problem and a threat to the republic.”
“We see this on a daily basis, someone who is willing to use violence to try to seize power to stay in power, someone who represents an irreversible disaster,” Jan Jan. 6 committee said. “Frankly, in my opinion, and we should do everything possible to ensure that he is not elected, that he is not re-elected.”
Pressed on whether Harris’s moderation on a number of issues compared to a few years ago made his decision to endorse him easier, Cheney pointed to Harris’ speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, saying he believed it was a speech of the past. GOP presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush could.
“It’s about accepting and understanding the exceptional nature of this great nation, the love of America, the recognition that America is a special place, the recognition that we all have to work together to make it happen,” he said. “And you’re benchmarking that to ensure we maintain that. “You compare every day what we hear from Donald Trump, that America is a failed nation, that America is a laughing stock.”
“Trash talk of the United States of America is part of the message that Donald Trump is promoting. And so at the end of the day, I think it’s important for people to recognize that he’s not a conservative,” Cheney said, referring to Trump’s adoption of global tariffs, which he criticized as “basically an anti-conservative policy” that would “suffocate global politics.” . trade.”
Cheney said he spoke with Harris in the process of deciding to endorse the vice president’s campaign, but declined to provide details of the conversation.
“I won’t talk about the details of the conversation, but I want to say that he fully recognizes and understands the stakes of this race and the importance of reflecting the broad coalition that has come together to support it. “he said.
When asked what she had to say about former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s recent remarks, she said she was On ‘standby’ to campaign for Trump After criticizing the former president’s inability to run for a second term, Cheney said he “doesn’t understand his position on this in any principled way” because Haley ran on conservative principles in the Republican primary.
“What he said, what he announced during the primary election, is true,” he said. “Again, you know, we conservatives, those of us who believe in the Constitution, have a responsibility to recognize that this is not about partisan politics and that the country needs to rebuild conservatism. is a true conservative movement as we go through this election cycle.”
“In a lot of cases, what a lot of elected Republicans do — abandon the constitution, tell yourself it’s just a partisan choice — that’s not what we’re dealing with this time,” he said. .
NBC News has reached out to Haley’s spokesperson for comment.
On January 6, 2021, Cheney, who was ousted as the House Republican leader after denouncing Trump after the Capitol attack, He announced his support for Harris last week. So did her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, days later Plans to vote for Harris in November.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., dismissed Republicans’ suggestion that Harris’ endorsements would make a difference in the presidential election.
“It’s a remarkable time in politics, you have Dick Cheney as a Democrat and Kennedy as a Republican,” Cotton said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” referring to former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump last month.
“I think it tells us that there is a lot of ferment in American politics, but ultimately endorsements are not going to make a difference in this race. What will make the difference is their record,” he added, before criticizing Harris’ record on the economy.
In a statement announcing his support for Harris, the former vice president criticized Trump’s baseless claims about a stolen 2020 election and said he “can never be trusted with power again.”
Asked during an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” about what he would say to undecided voters who would be swayed by the former vice president’s argument, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said he wasn’t sure undecided voters would be swayed because “It’s very well understood that Cheney “Not a fan” of Trump.
Burgum questioned whether Cheney would join Harris’ campaign, noting that Democrats have criticized the former vice president for his foreign policy record.
“It’s, you know, ‘Darth Cheney,'” he said. “I think you know the genocidal war criminals that the Democrats have been calling him for decades. And now they hug him overnight. That’s why I think, do you know, maybe he will be in the election campaign.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.WHO He did not support Harris after he replaced President Joe Biden in the race, he applauded the Cheneys for endorsing Harris in a separate interview on “Meet the Press.”
“I think it’s not just problems at this existential moment in American history,” Dick and Liz Cheney say. “Cheney and I don’t agree on anything, on any issue. But what we do believe is that the United States should maintain its democratic foundations.”
“And it’s not just Cheney. I think there are a lot of Republicans who say, ‘Well, you know, I might disagree with the vice president on this or that, but I can’t support someone who’s a pathological liar.’ ” he added. “So I applaud the Cheneys for their courage in standing up for democracy. Obviously, we have very different views on all these issues.”
Sanders also said he doesn’t think Harris has abandoned his progressive ideals, saying he has “pragmatic” take action by moderating opinions “to win elections”.