According to reports from the New York Times and NBC on the 7th, on Friday local time, former US Vice President and Republican leader Dick Cheney announced that he would vote for Democratic presidential candidate Harris instead of his party's candidate Trump in the US election on November 5. Earlier this week, his daughter Liz Cheney, who previously held an important position in the Republican Party, also made a similar statement.
Although he had been at odds with the Cheneys for many years, Trump was furious when he was publicly betrayed by the Cheneys at this critical juncture with only two months left in the election. The spokesperson for his campaign team was so upset that he swore.
CNN pointed out that Cheney is one of the most influential hawkish conservatives in the Republican Party. Although he has maintained friendly relations with Democrats for many years, he has never publicly supported a Democrat as the US president. His switch to support Harris can be seen as a surprising move by a staunch conservative. The Washington Post also called this a "historic moment."
Cheney and his daughter are both Republicans. Cheney, 83, served as Secretary of Defense in the Bush administration and won the 2000 election with Bush, becoming the 46th Vice President of the United States. According to US media reports, after Trump tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and incited the Capitol Hill incident, the father and daughter began to speak out and oppose Trump, a popular figure in the party.
According to US media reports, Harris herself did not immediately respond to Cheney's support. Some Democratic strategists believe that this is her campaign team trying to maintain a delicate balance, seeking to unify the Democratic base while winning over Republicans.
On the other hand, Trump was furious. That night, he posted several posts on the social media platform "Truth Social", madly attacking Cheney and his daughter, calling them "irrelevant RINOs". RINO means "Republican in Name Only", which refers to those who are relatively left-leaning in the Republican Party. Trump also used Liz's defeat to attack her, mocking her for "losing by the largest margin in the history of congressional elections."
His campaign spokesperson even used foul language, and when asked about the remarks, he responded, "Who the f*** is Liz Cheney?"
The Washington Post pointed out that Cheney's statement made him the most high-profile Republican to support Harris. At the same time, there are still some people in the Republican Party who have not yet made a clear statement whether they support Trump or Harris. These Republicans are becoming the focus of attention. These include the only living former Republican President George W. Bush, former Vice President Mike Pence, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and others. The report said that most of them have warned of the threat represented by Trump, but none of them have expressed their intention to turn to support Harris. Especially considering that these party leaders were all absent from the Republican National Convention held in mid-July, while the Democratic Convention was "star-studded", with the Obamas, Clinton, Hillary, and Biden all appearing to help, how these "silent Republicans" will choose has attracted much attention.
Democratic strategist Joel Payne believes that the Cheneys' turn to Harris does not mean that they agree with Harris on individual issues, but more of a statement of distrust of Trump. In doing so, they have also set a precedent for Republicans who have been alienated and excluded by the Trump camp, allowing them to vote for Harris with confidence. He also said that Cheney's support for Harris may, to some extent, also mean that the Democratic Party needs to adapt to some "strange partners." In order to defeat Trump, sometimes they may have to work hand in hand with people they once "despised."