Speculation is mounting about what role former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) will play as President Biden and former President Trump face off for a rematch in the 2024 election.
Cheney has vowed to do whatever it takes to prevent Trump from returning to the White House. She has left the door open to her independent candidacy, and recently joined the political action committee Great – Launched a task.
At the same time, she has also said she won’t become a spoiler third-party candidate if she helps Trump, and some Democrats have expressed interest and even hope that she will publicly support Biden instead.
“If you had asked me 20 years ago whether it was really a good idea for Democrats to team up with Cheney, I would have said I was drinking something,” said Jennifer Holdsworth, a Democratic strategist. “But I think in this day and age, the more people who value democracy towards the same goal, the better.”
Holdsworth said he “welcomes” Cheney’s endorsement despite policy differences and Cheney’s track record on issues such as women’s rights, but said such a move would undermine the former congressman’s political future. He also acknowledged that ambition complicates things.
Cheney underwent a sudden political evolution in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, going from once a rising Republican star to someone vilified by her party for opposing Trump. Ta.
in spite of her conservative track recordshe was ousted from her position as chair of the House Republican Conference, citing her objections to President Trump’s baseless claims about the 2020 election and his conduct during the Capitol riot, and faced a pro-Trump challenge in the final cycle of primaries. lost to someone.
Instead, she has become one of the main faces of the anti-Trump movement, serving on a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 investigation, and is expected to serve Arizona during the November 2022 election cycle. He used his platform to target pro-Trump candidates, including Mark Finchem and Kali Lake. She supported some Democrats in the midterm elections, including Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
After leaving office, she published a memoir and became increasingly critical of President Trump, a move that could signal his presidential ambitions.
Cheney said in January that she was leaving the door open to a White House run.
“I haven’t decided on that yet,” she said on “The View” in January. “But I think it’s really important, I mean, what you said, in this election cycle, everyone has to go vote. Everyone has to go vote. No, and you have to be willing to say, “Look, I’m not necessarily going to vote for a candidate who’s in my party, I’m going to find a candidate who is ”I know I can be trusted to uphold the Constitution. ”
Cheney also said he would do nothing to help Trump. Some Democrats are skeptical about her running as an independent candidate, fearing it could have a negative impact on Biden, but the party is left wondering what exactly she would do. thinking.
Fernando Amandi, a Florida-based Democratic pollster, said Cheney was a likely candidate for Biden in hopes of attracting anti-Trump voters who might otherwise support a third-party candidate. He said it was important to publicly support the
“The problem is that the fear of a third-party candidate means that anti-Trump conservatives, swayed by Cheney, may flee…then they might vote for a third party. “But that would benefit Trump, not Biden,” Amandi said. .
But some of Ms. Cheney’s Democratic colleagues in the House believe her message will resonate regardless of what she does.
“That’s up to Liz, but she’s clearly someone who is a champion of democracy and someone who is sounding the alarm about how dangerous Donald Trump is. I would be relieved if that was the role she took on. “What role do you think she should play in the 2024 presidential election?” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), who worked with her on the House committee investigating the Capitol riot. In response to the question, he answered: Race.
“I think it’s enough that she keeps talking about Donald Trump being a threat to democracy,” the California Democrat added.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), another member of the House committee, said he wants her to reach out to “Republicans who are frustrated and disillusioned” about Trump and the threat he poses. said. He did not advise her whether to support Biden.
“I want her to do what is most effective for preserving the republic. She has very strong instincts about that,” he said.
So far, Cheney has not said whether she will support the president in the 2024 election, and as a vocal critic of Trump whose ideology remains broadly aligned with the Republican Party, she will have to steer clear. This highlights the difficult political situation in which the United States is facing a crisis.
Although anti-Trump supporters are in the minority within the Republican Party, Cheney’s actions could sway voters and influence the presidential election, which will once again be at stake in key states such as Arizona and Georgia.
Biden, for his part, hasn’t said much about Cheney publicly in recent months, but said in 2022, “While I don’t agree with what Liz Cheney believes on substantive issues, I have great respect for her.” and expressed his admiration for her. her her her. ”
Still, there is hope among some Republicans that she will eventually return home.
Former Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Alabama), who was close to Cheney when she was a member of the House, said he understands that Cheney is a critic of Trump, but that she supports Biden. He said he didn’t think so. He said he hopes she will return to her former presidency.
“That doesn’t mean she has to agree with President Trump,” Byrne said, but added that “it’s really a binary choice” between Biden and Trump.
It’s a claim made by other Republicans, such as former Attorney General Bill Barr, but it hasn’t swayed Cheney.
Democrats believe there is a place for her in this election, even if she occupies her own lane.
“You don’t have to wear the same jersey all the time to be on the same team. And I think there’s a way you can do that. [anti-Trump Republicans] You can play baseball without wearing our jerseys,” Democratic strategist Anjuan Seawright said. “Because if we do that, we could again have unintended consequences.”
Mychael Schnell contributed to this report.
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