When the Republicans for Harris campaign began in earnest a month ago, it included some pretty prominent names, including former Republican governors, members of Congress, and even Republicans who served on Donald Trump’s White House team. In the days and weeks that followed, the list of Republicans supporting Vice President Kamala Harris grew longer and longer.
However, there was one name that many political observers from both parties were keeping a close eye on: What would former Representative Liz Cheney do?
There is now an answer to this question. NBC News reported:
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Wednesday, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement of Democrats. Cheney made the comments during an appearance at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.
“It’s critical that people realize that not only what I just said about the danger posed by Trump should deter people from voting for him, but I don’t think we have the luxury of putting the names of the candidates on the list, especially in the swing states,” the Wyoming Republican said.
“As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I’ve thought about this carefully. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only will I not vote for Donald Trump, I will vote for Kamala Harris.”
Not surprisingly, the Harris team was thrilled.
“The Vice President is proud to have won Congressman Cheney’s vote,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a written statement. “She is a patriot who loves this country and puts our democracy and our Constitution first. … Vice President Harris will be a president for all Americans, regardless of their political party. For every American who wants to reject the chaos and division caused by Donald Trump, turn over a new leaf, and forge a new path that protects our freedoms and defends the American values we all believe in, there is a place for you in the Harris-Walz coalition, and we will continue to work to earn your support.”
For those who have followed Cheney’s career, this announcement was hardly inevitable. In fact, a decade ago, it would have unthinkable.
I am aware that the former congresswoman is persona non grata in today’s GOP circles, but in case anyone has forgotten, Cheney was and is very conservative. We are talking about a lifelong Republican from a prominent Republican family who was an uncompromising right-wing congresswoman and served as House Republican leader – a leadership post she won unopposed.
During Trump’s presidency, she voted with the Republican Party in the White House about 94 percent of the time – a higher rate than some members of the House Freedom Caucus.
Yet despite that record, Cheney, the Republican co-chair of the bipartisan January 6 Committee, recognizes the unique threat her party’s candidate poses to the American political system and is therefore supporting his opponent.
Of course, there is room for debate about what impact this might have and whether any significant number of voters will be swayed by the former MP’s announcement, but I would not be too quick to dismiss the importance of this support.
Over the past few weeks and months, voters have repeatedly heard from Republican Trump critics who have publicly stated that (a) they can’t bring themselves to support their party’s nominee and (b) they can’t vote for the Democrats either. These GOP voices typically say they intend to write in on behalf of another prominent figure they respect.
Just this week, for example, former Senator Pat Toomey joined the group, telling CNBC: “If you lose an election and try to overturn the result to stay in power, you lose me. Then you lose me.” The Pennsylvania Republican added in the same interview, however, that he also disagreed with Harris.
But that’s exactly what makes Cheney’s announcement so remarkable: She not only declared her intention to vote for Harris, but also subtly reminded her party’s other Trump opponents that they face a binary decision. One of the two major party candidates will be sworn in in January.
This is not particularly complicated: As Cheney made clear, if you recognize Trump as a unique threat to the American experiment, you have a responsibility to support the person – the only person – who stands between him and the White House.
Will this inspire other Republicans to follow Cheney’s example? Stay tuned.
