Former US Vice President Dick Cheney, a lifelong Republican, has confirmed that he will vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in the November presidential election.
Mr Cheney, seen as an influential figure in George W. Bush’s presidency, said in a statement that “no one has ever posed a greater threat to our republic” than current Republican nominee Donald Trump.
His daughter, former Republican congressman Liz Cheney, earlier told an audience in Texas that her father planned to support the Democratic candidate.
“he [Trump] “He tried to use lies and violence to steal the last election to keep himself in power after voters rejected him,” Mr. Cheney said. “He can never be trusted in power again.”
He added: “As citizens, we each have a responsibility to put country before party and defend our Constitution. That’s why I’m voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Cheney’s comments were welcomed by Harris’ camp.
“The Vice President is proud of Vice President Cheney’s endorsement and deeply admires his courage to put country before party,” said campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Mr Cheney joins a growing number of Republicans expressing concern about Donald Trump’s candidacy.
His daughter Liz Cheney has endorsed Vice President Harris.
She served on the House special committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump following the incident.
In 2022, Ms. Cheney lost her congressional seat to a Trump-backed candidate.
After Cheney’s statement, Trump took to social media to call the former vice president an “irrelevant greenhorn” – short for “Republican in name only.”
He also described Mr Cheney as “the king of endless, ridiculous wars” – an allusion to his role in the Iraq war.
