Trump seethes as Liz Cheney joins hundreds of Republicans for Harris

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, left, with former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican, at a rally in Ripon, Wisconsin, on Oct. 3, 2024.

Donald Trump attacked former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney following her appearance at a  Wisconsin event supporting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. But around the United States, more and more Republicans are crossing party lines to back Harris.

“[T]hese two fools, because the Republican Party no longer wants them, endorsed the most Liberal Senator in the U.S. Senate, further Left than even Pocahontas or Crazy Bernie Sanders - Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” Trump wrote Thursday on his Truth Social platform, referring to Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who also endorsed Harris.

“What a pathetic couple that is, both suffering gravely from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump added.

At the Wisconsin event, Liz Cheney said that Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, motivated her to endorse Harris. Cheney previously served on the House select committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“He praised the rioters. He did not condemn them. That’s who Donald Trump is,” Cheney said.

The Cheneys are not alone. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger announced his support for Harris during his speech at the Democratic National Convention in August.

“Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party,” Kinzinger said.

The Harris campaign launched “Republicans for Harris” in early August, describing the effort as a “campaign within a campaign” to reach out to Republican voters ready to move away from Trump. Former Trump administration officials Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye were among the supporters who composed the group, along with a host of former Republican governors, senators, and representatives.

Later in August, more than 200 officials who worked under Republican lawmakers like John McCain and Mitt Romney and under both Bush presidencies announced they were behind Harris, calling a possible second Trump term a “disaster for our nation.”

Pro-Harris efforts from Republicans are also at work in states key to winning the election.

Republicans for Harris has held events in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan, in addition to other states. In Arizona, Republican support has also gone to Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for that state’s Senate seat against Republican Kari Lake, an election denier.

Republican voters supporting Harris have featured in a series of campaign ads as well. The most recent ad features a former Trump voter highlighting Trump’s habit of blaming his failures on others, without taking responsibility for his actions.

By contrast, Trump has touted the support he has received from figures like former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But like Trump, those figures have been more closely associated with promoting conspiracy theories than traditional Democratic Party issues.

At her event with Cheney, Harris said that respect for the rule of law, free and fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power were shared by voters across party lines.

“If you share that view, no matter what your party, there is a place for you in this campaign,” Harris said.