Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has stated | Photograph credit score: Reuters
Former US Vice President Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, will vote for Kamala Harris for president, he introduced on Friday.
Liz Cheney, who endorsed Harris on Wednesday, first introduced her father’s assist when Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic journal throughout an interview. “Wow,” Leibovich replied because the viewers applauded.
Like his daughter, Dick Cheney has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, particularly throughout Liz Cheney’s ill-fated 2022 re-election marketing campaign.
Dick Cheney issued an announcement on Friday confirming his endorsement, which was learn virtually completely as opposition to Trump somewhat than assist for Harris.
“She will by no means once more be trusted with energy,” the assertion stated. “As residents, all of us have an obligation to place nation above partisanship to defend our Structure. That’s why I will likely be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Irrelevant, says Trump
Trump responded on his Reality Social platform by calling the previous vice chairman “an irrelevant RINO, alongside along with his daughter.” The acronym stands for “Republican in Identify Solely.”
Requested for remark, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung stated: “Who’s Liz Cheney?”
The marketing campaign confirmed that Cheung’s sarcasm was additionally attributable to a remark Liz Cheney posted on-line 4 years in the past wherein she known as Harris a “radical liberal.”
Harris marketing campaign supervisor Jen O’Malley Dillon issued an announcement saying: “The Vice President is proud to have Vice President Cheney’s endorsement and deeply respects her braveness in placing nation over get together.”
The Cheneys vs. Trump
Dick Cheney, 83, has made few, if any, public appearances over the previous yr or extra. He has had coronary heart issues since he was 40 and underwent a coronary heart transplant in 2012.
Dick Cheney’s assertion on Friday was much like a 2022 marketing campaign advert by Liz Cheney, who was searching for a fourth time period as Wyoming’s sole congresswoman. In it, she known as Trump a “coward” for attempting to “steal the final election by utilizing lies and violence to remain in energy after the voters had rejected him.”
The announcement was of little assist to her daughter in a deeply Republican state that when held the Cheney household in excessive regard however is now squarely behind Trump. By a margin of greater than 2 to 1, Liz Cheney misplaced her Republican major to legal professional Harriet Hageman, who had Trump’s backing.
Dick Cheney has been a good friend of Democrats through the years, however he by no means endorsed any of them for president.
Each Cheneys supported Trump in 2016, however after Liz Cheney criticized Trump’s overseas coverage choices and Trump criticized the “limitless wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq began when Dick Cheney was vice chairman, their assist waned.
If any of the Cheneys supported Trump in 2020, they didn’t say so. In the meantime, their dwelling state of Wyoming gave Trump his largest margin of victory that yr.
In 2021, Liz Cheney’s vote to question Trump and her investigation into him for the 2021 US Capitol riots made them irredeemable to Trump (and shortly to a lot of the Republican Occasion).
There have been exceptions. One was Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Cheney ally and Republican Trump critic who earlier this yr endorsed Biden and spoke in assist of Harris on the Democratic Nationwide Conference in August.
A number of different prime Republicans have endorsed Harris, whereas some, together with Sen. Mitt Romney and former Vice President Mike Pence, say they won’t vote for Trump.
Of them, solely Romney, who just isn’t searching for re-election, stays in workplace.
Printed – 07 Sep 2024 03:12 pm IST
