Liz Cheney Says Father, Once a Liberal Enemy, to Vote for Kamala Harris

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, will be voting for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, his daughter Liz Cheney revealed on Friday.

Liz Cheney, a former high-ranking Republican herself, made the announcement during an interview with Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin.

“Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris,” Liz Cheney declared, sparking applause from the audience.

Leibovich responded with a simple, “Wow.” The former congresswoman then elaborated, saying, “My dad believes—and has said publicly—that no individual in our country poses a greater threat to democracy than Donald Trump.”

Despite Liz Cheney’s bold endorsement, the former vice president was notably absent from Friday’s announcement. However, shortly after his daughter’s remarks, he confirmed his support in a statement.

“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again,” the statement reads.

“As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Dick Cheney concludes.

Dick Cheney served as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. Once vilified by Democrats for his role in the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Wyoming native now finds himself aligned with those he once opposed, all in the name of what the Cheney family views as safeguarding democracy.

Dick Cheney’s past criticisms of Trump are well-known. In 2016, he labeled Trump “a liberal Democrat,” yet went on to endorse him. However, by 2020, during Trump’s reelection bid, he distanced himself by featuring in an ad for his daughter’s failed Wyoming congressional campaign, calling Trump “a coward.”

Although Trump later pardoned Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who had been convicted on four felony counts related to a CIA leak scandal, it appears that no reconciliation followed.

Like her father, Liz Cheney has been an outspoken critic of Trump. During her 2022 reelection campaign, she ran on a platform of opposing him, a stance that ultimately cost her the election.

Speaking earlier this week at Duke University‘s Sanford School of Public Policy, the former congresswoman reiterated her position, saying she would not support Trump and instead cast her vote for Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.

“As a conservative, as someone that believes in our Constitution, I have thought deeply about this,” she said in a video that has since gone viral. “Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I am voting for Kamala Harris.”

Liz Cheney served as vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. She has since authored Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, in which she provides an insider account of the insurrection and discusses lingering threats to American democracy.

Although there is speculation about Liz Cheney’s political future, including whether she may run for office or join a potential Harris administration, she has remained focused on preventing Trump’s return to power.

“I am very much focused on making sure that we defeat Donald Trump in November,” she emphasized.

Update 9/6/24, 5:43 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 9/6/24, 5:51 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with Dick Cheney’s statement.