Liz Cheney and fellow Republicans to the rescue

On Thursday, Aug. 22, the last night of the Democratic National Convention, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) stepped up to the podium and endorsed Kamala Harris for president. But after his remarks the big buzz at the CNN-POLITICO Grill was not “Why Adam Kinzinger?” but “Where’s Liz Cheney?” Was she invited?  

Well, now we know. It’s not that Liz Cheney was not welcome in Chicago. It’s just that the Harris campaign was wisely saving her for a more strategic appearance. Last Thursday in Ripon, Wis. — birthplace of the Republican Party — Cheney, formerly the third highest-ranking person in the House Republican leadership, walked on stage with Kamala Harris and gave the Democratic nominee her endorsement.

Cheney made it clear she was not abandoning the Republican Party. She was casting her vote for Harris as a long-time Republican conservative, she told the crowd, adding: “I was a Republican even before Donald Trump started spray-tanning.” But as a conservative, and as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, Cheney explained, she could not vote for a candidate who posed such a danger to our democracy. Therefore, she declared, “I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.”  

What’s most striking about the Kinzinger and Cheney denunciations of Donald Trump and endorsements of Kamala Harris is that they’re hardly alone among Republicans. Indeed, some of the most damning criticism of Trump has come not from Democrats but from members of his own party. And not just any Republicans, but party leaders and many who worked in Trump’s administration. 

Party leaders who say they will not vote for Trump include Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney: “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump.” Former Vice President Mike Pence: “I believe anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again.” And former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.): “I think Republicans believe in the rule of law in particular, and it’s difficult to support a candidate who, having lost an election, tries to use the powers of the presidency to overturn that election.” 

They’re joined by many who know Trump best, those who worked in his administration, like former aide Cassidy Hutchinson: “Donald Trump and JD Vance cannot be trusted with the Constitution.” Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who also spoke at the DNC: “He has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth.” And former Defense Secretary James Mattis: “He is more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.” 

This open rebuke of Donald Trump and public embrace of Kamala Harris by so many leading Republicans is remarkable for at least three reasons. One, because it’s a — rare for these days — show of political courage. Nothing triggers more verbal brickbats today than criticizing a member of your own party. Second, because it’s a powerful demonstration of patriotism. In essence, these Republicans are saying, “I’m an American first, a Republican second. Donald Trump is a threat to this country, so I’m putting country over party.”

Third, these endorsements matter because they might convince other Republicans who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 that they can remain a bonafide Republican and not vote for Trump in 2024, and maybe even vote for Kamala Harris. In the strangest ending to what’s already a strange political year, it could be Republican voters who put Kamala Harris over the top. 

Press is host of “The Bill Press Pod.” He is the author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”