Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman who became one of former President Donald Trump’s harshest critics, has formally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. The endorsement is the latest move by Cheney to oppose Trump and adds to a growing list of Republican defections away from Trump in this election.

‘I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris’

Cheney declared her support for Harris Wednesday evening during an appearance at Duke University. Speaking at an event by the university’s Sanford School of Public Policy, Cheney told the audience that “as a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this.” Telling the crowd that she didn’t “believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names” in this close election, Cheney announced that she would not be voting for Donald Trump, and she said, “I will be voting for Kamala Harris.”

Cheney cited the Jan. 6 insurrection, noting how Trump egged on his supporters who stormed the Capitol and how he refused for hours to issue a message to call them off. Cheney condemned “the pure depravity” of Trump and declared him “a man who can never again be entrusted with power of any kind.”

Republican opposition to Trump grows

Cheney, who is also the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, represented Wyoming’s only congressional district from 2017 to 2023. From 2019 to 2021, she served as House Republican Conference chair, the third-highest Republican in the House of Representatives. Liz Cheney split with Trump after Jan. 6, supporting his second impeachment; she was removed from her leadership role by House Republicans as a result of this stance. Shortly thereafter, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appointed Cheney to the United States House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack, for which Cheney served as vice chair.

Friday, she confirmed that her father will be voting for Harris as well.

Cheney’s opposition to Trump puts her on a growing list of Republicans who are not supporting the former president as he seeks to be elected for a second term. On Tuesday, Jimmy McCain, the youngest son of late Republican Sen. John McCain, endorsed Harris over Trump, as did several Republican officials at the recent Democratic National Convention and over 200 Republican staffers of past GOP presidential nominees who signed an open letter in support of Harris.

As the presidential race remains close, these cross-party endorsements could sway undecided voters and potentially shift results in key states. The Harris campaign has welcomed Cheney’s remarks and, given the recent trend, may expect more Republicans to cross the aisle and endorse Harris during this election cycle.

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