Liz Cheney to join forces with Kamala Harris in critical election-swinging location
The political rally marks the most recent initiative from the ex-Wyoming congresswoman to persuade undecided voters to diverge from Donald Trump, with under five weeks left until Election Day. Cheney, who earlier told CNN her primary objective was preventing Trump from reclaiming the Oval Office, backed Harris last month in North Carolina, another crucial state.
“I believe it is essential for people to acknowledge, not just the peril that Trump poses that should dissuade them from voting for him, but I also think we lack the luxury of writing in names of candidates, especially in swing states,” Cheney expressed during a speech at Duke University in early September. She subsequently stated her anticipation of campaigning against Trump in key battleground states during the fall.
At the campaign event in Ripon, home to a historical schoolhouse recognized as the origin of the Republican Party, Harris will deliver a direct appeal to Republican and independent voters, as per a campaign official. She is expected to underscore the historical significance of Ripon and commit to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution, even if she disagrees with their views on policy issues.
Cheney's unyielding hostility towards Trump and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, such as her vote to impeach him, ultimately led the House GOP to dismiss her as conference chair and replace her with a close Trump confidante, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik. Cheney subsequently served as vice chair of the House select committee that probed the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol. She ultimately lost her seat in Congress in a 2022 primary to a Trump-backed candidate.
In response to Cheney's decision to appear with Harris, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt directed CNN to an August 2020 social media post by Cheney shortly after Joe Biden picked Harris as his running mate.
“.@KamalaHarris has a more liberal voting record than Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren. Her radical leftist views-raising taxes, banning gun sales, taxpayer funds for abortion & illegal immigrant health care, eliminating private health insurance-would be detrimental for America,” Cheney posted on August 12, 2020.
Cheney stated in September that she had significant policy disagreements with Harris on numerous topics but chose to support her this year because she believes “those of us who support the defense of our democracy, our Constitution, and the endurance of our republic have a duty in this election cycle to put these principles above politics.”
A number of Republicans have backed Harris in her effort to defeat Trump, including Cheney's father, former Vice President Dick Cheney; former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger; former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan; and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.
Most recently, Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide who provided testimony to the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, added her endorsement to the list, stating on MSNBC on Wednesday, “The character of our leaders truly matters too.”
Cheney has consistently sought to counteract Trump's influence in elections. In the 2022 midterms, the political action committee she launched placed an ad buy advocating Arizona voters to reject GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and Republican Secretary of State nominee Mark Finchem. Additionally, she campaigned on behalf of two moderate Democrats in competitive House races that year.
Expanded endeavor to engage Republican voters
The campaign's attempts to secure Republican votes will extend beyond the Cheney event.
The campaign stop in Ripon will initiate a series of similar events, targeting voters disillusioned with Trump and primarily concerned about safeguarding the Constitution, according to a Harris campaign official. Additional events will be organized in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Harris-Walz is allocating substantial financial resources to this cause, as part of a more than seven-figure paid media strategy, the campaign official confirmed. In contrast, Trump's team has engaged former Democrats as surrogates, but there isn't an equivalent "Democrats for Trump" movement.
Harris' outreach to Republicans will encompass a new economy-focused ad featuring a direct-to-camera message from a two-time Trump voter expressing concerns about how Trump's economic policies would adversely affect individuals like him, said the campaign official. This advertisement, “Has Our Backs,” was initially shared with CNN and will be displayed on digital platforms such as YouTube TV, as part of the campaign's $370 million advertising reservations between Labor Day and Election Day.
“We understand that these votes are crucial, and we’re continuing to invest in every day to win over the millions of Republicans who are ready to move past the disorder, extremism, and division incurred by Donald Trump,” said Austin Weatherford, the national Republican outreach director for the Harris-Walz campaign, in a statement.
Not all Democrats believe this strategy is optimal.
Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, the first Muslim woman elected to the body, has been particularly vocal on social media about her concerns with regards to the Harris team focusing on endorsements from prominent Republicans like Cheney.
“It seems like the campaign is attempting to operate a Biden campaign, and it’s causing significant harm to Harris,” she posted on X.
“Republicans cannot save us, and promoting their endorsements is having a detrimental effect,” Romman stated.
The political rally in Ripon is part of a larger strategy by the Harris campaign to win over disillusioned Republican voters, particularly those concerned about safeguarding the Constitution. Cheney's endorsement of Harris last month, despite her significant policy disagreements, is a testament to this endeavor.
