Former Vice President Dick Cheney is one of Wyoming’s most prominent politicians, deeply embedded in Republican politics and a major player in three Republican presidential administrations.
He announced Friday that he’s voting for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.
The former vice president and Wyoming congressman made the announcement in a statement, basing his support solely around his opposition for former President Donald Trump’s bid.
"In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “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.”
Cheney’s statement comes just two days after his daughter, former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, also endorsed Harris’ bid
Dick Cheney said his support for Harris extends past partisanship and pertains to defending the U.S. Constitution.
"As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution,” he said. “That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris."
Public statements from Dick Cheney have also been rare, but increasingly so since he left public office. One of his last public appearances was in 2022 at an unveiling for the Simpson-Mineta Institute in Cody, where his daughter spoke during her campaign that summer.
According to NBC News, when asked for comment Friday about Liz Cheney’s support for Harris, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung replied, "Who the f*** is Liz Cheney?"
Not Friends
Liz Cheney has opposed Trump since he launched his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But even before that stunning turn, there were fissures behind the scenes between her and Trump.
Trump has long been critical of the U.S. for being too involved in foreign wars and disputes, and specifically called out former George W. Bush’s administration for this while he was president. Dick Cheney served as vice president to Bush and was largely credited for pushing U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
During his daughter’s 2022 reelection campaign, Dick Cheney filmed an ad where he called Trump “a coward” and spoke in support of his daughter’s campaign.
Liz Cheney lost her leadership positions in the House and was blown out by her Republican primary opponent U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, who was endorsed by Trump in the 2022 race. She also served as the vice chair on the United States House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Attack, which investigated Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Although Dick Cheney was still held in reasonably high regard in Wyoming political circles prior to his Friday statement, given how his daughter fared in the 2022 election, it’s unlikely his endorsement of Harris will move the needle much in Wyoming. Trump won Wyoming with a larger margin than any other state in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Other Cheney Endorsements
Liz Cheney first broke the news of her father’s support for Harris earlier in the day Friday while doing an interview at the Texas Tribune Festival.
"If you think about the moment that we’re in, and you think about how serious this moment is, my dad believes — and he’s said publicly — that there’s never been an individual in our country who is as grave a threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is," Cheney said. "And that’s the moment that we’re facing."
During her Friday interview, she also announced that she would support Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, in his U.S. Senate bid. Allred is taking on Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who has served in the Senate since 2013.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
