Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney announced her intention to vote for vice president Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
The revelation came during a speaking engagement at Duke University in North Carolina on Wednesday, sparking backlash from prominent voices like Elon Musk online.
Cheney, who was ousted from her Wyoming congressional seat after voting to impeach President Donald Trump over the January 6 Capitol riot, made her pivotal decision public in a battleground state.
The move, while not entirely unexpected given her recent criticism of Trump, marks a significant departure from her conservative roots.
Musk swiftly took to X to highlight a 2020 remark from Cheney where she called Harris a “radical liberal,” adding, “we won’t give her a chance.”
Others on X flocked to the unearthed post to blast Cheney over her recent endorsement of the vice president.
Daily Mail reported that during her address on Wednesday, Cheney emphasized the critical nature of the upcoming election, particularly in swing states like North Carolina.
“Because we are here in North Carolina, I think it is crucially important for people to recognize not only is what I have said about the danger that Trump poses something that should prevent people from voting for him, but I don’t believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney stated.
The former congresswoman, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, went on to explain her decision, citing her conservative beliefs and concern for the Constitution.
“As a conservative and as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this, and because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump but I am voting for Kamala Harris,” she declared.
Cheney’s announcement comes on the heels of her recent indication to the New York Times that she would be making her position known within days.
Daily Mail added that the timing and location of her statement are particularly noteworthy, as North Carolina is a state that Harris hopes to win in the upcoming election.
The Harris campaign has been actively courting Republican support, featuring GOP speakers such as former Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Stephanie Grisham at the Democratic convention.
Cheney herself did not make an appearance at the event, however.
In contrast to Cheney’s stance, former Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, another recently retired Republican lawmaker, announced on CNBC that he would not vote for either Trump or Harris, acknowledging the contest as a “binary choice.”
As the election draws near, Harris has been making overtures to Republicans and Independents, signaling her willingness to chart an independent course.
She recently stated in a CNN interview that she would consider including a Republican in her cabinet if elected, as highlighted by Daily Mail.
Harris has also indicated potential departures from some of president Biden’s policies, particularly on issues such as capital gains tax rates and U.S. arms support for Israel.
The Trump campaign swiftly responded to Cheney’s announcement by sharing a clip of her previous criticism of Harris.
In the video, Cheney described Harris as someone whose “voting record in the Senate is to the left of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.”
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