Republican Liz Cheney endorses Harris rather than ‘dangerous’ Trump

Daughter of Dick Cheney becomes latest member of GOP to say she will vote for Democratic candidate

Liz Cheney has become the latest Republican to endorse Kamala Harris, warning of the “danger” Donald Trump poses.
Ms Cheney, a former Wyoming congresswoman and House Republican Conference chairman, said on Wednesday she would turn her back on the Republican party and vote for Ms Harris in November.
Speaking to students in North Carolina, she revealed that she would not “write in” an alternative Republican candidate on her ballot paper, saying: “I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states.
“As a conservative, 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 will be voting for Kamala Harris.”
Ms Cheney, the daughter of Dick Cheney, the former vice-president, is a conservative who supports gun ownership and opposes abortion.
Her endorsement of Ms Harris comes after a series of “Republicans for Harris” announced they would vote against their own party because of Trump’s selection as the Republican nominee.
Last week, 238 former aides to Republicans, including Mitt Romney, George W Bush and John McCain, published a joint letter calling for “moderate Republicans and conservative independents” to back Ms Harris.
Five Republican politicians and aides spoke at last month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago to oppose Trump and offer their support to the rival party.
They included Adam Kinzinger, a former representative from Illinois, and Olivia Troye, the homeland security adviser to Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-president,.
Geoff Duncan, the Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, said: “To my fellow Republicans at home that want to pivot back toward policy, empathy and tone, you know the right thing to do. Now let’s have the courage to do it in November.”
Ms Cheney lost her position in the House Republican leadership and her seat in Congress after she condemned Trump in the aftermath of the Capitol riots on January 6 2021.
She continued to oppose Trump on the committee investigating the riots, and has since spoken out against him again.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Ms Harris’s campaign chairman, praised Ms Cheney as a patriot and said the Democratic nominee was “proud” to have earned her vote.
Ms Harris is marginally ahead of Trump in averages of national polls, but both candidates have a plausible path to victory through seven highly contested swing states.
The vice-president’s campaign has set up a “Republicans for Harris-Walz” group to promote the phenomenon of moderate conservatives backing her. 
Her aides believe winning centre-Right or independent conservative votes offers her the best chance of victory.
Trump allies have condemned “Republicans in name only”, known as “RINOs”, who do not support his campaign.