Elizabeth Lynne Cheney was born on July 28, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin. She is an American lawyer and politician who served as a Republican congresswoman representing Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She is the daughter of former US Vice President Dick Cheney. She has also been a big figure in American politics in her own right. Her most salient feature would be that she was loud and proud against former US president Donald Trump.
Early life and education
Cheney was born into a politically active family, and this later determined her career path. She studied at Colorado College, where she got a Bachelor of Arts in 1988, later obtaining her Juris Doctor at the University of Chicago Law School in 1996. Prior to being a politician, she had served for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, among others. Her early career laid the foundation for her political pursuits, including her understanding of U.S. foreign policy and backing.
Liz Cheney political career
Cheney’s political career started in earnest when she ran for Wyoming’s at-large congressional seat in 2016-a seat her father held decades prior. In 2017, Cheney was elected to the House of Representatives and found her way into leadership roles, such as serving as chair of the House Republican Conference. At first, Cheney was very much in line with the Trump administration, voting to support many of its policies.
But her position dramatically flipped after January 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Cheney’s condemnation of Trump’s actions in the insurrection and afterward cemented her as one of his most public Republican critics. She voted to impeach Trump and co-chaired the House committee investigating the January 6 attack, further alienating herself from the Republican Party.
Split from the Republican Party
Her vocal criticism of Trump and association with the January 6 committee got Cheney kicked out of House Republican leadership back in May 2021. Eventually, she lost the 2022 Republican primary. She conceded her seat to a Trump-backed opponent, highlighting a growing split between traditional conservatism and Trump loyalty in the Republican Party.
Liz Cheney supporting Kamala Harris for President
On September 5, 2024, Liz Cheney made headlines when she announced that she would be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in the next presidential election. That decision significantly deviates from her Republican roots, underlining deep concerns that she has regarding Trump’s influence on the party and American democracy.
Reasons for supporting Harris
During an event at Duke University, Cheney explained her decision to support Harris thus: “I don’t believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states.” She framed Trump as a threat to the Constitution and to democracy itself, adding that her decision was driven by her conservative principles and dedication to the rule of law.
Cheney’s endorsement places her among an emerging bloc of one time Republicans breaking from Trump. Other well-known officials, including former Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Denver Riggleman, have also backed Harris, as a host of traditional conservatives increasingly show discomfort with the direction in which the Republican Party is headed.
Impact of Cheney’s endorsement
Cheney’s endorsement of Harris is more than a political statement; it is symbolic. It is the fracture in the Republican Party as conservative forces, represented by such figures as Cheney, try to realign themselves with candidates whose focus is democratic principles rather than party loyalty. Her decision has been met with applause from various quarters, including Harris’s campaign, which has welcomed Cheney’s support as a sign of patriotic duty and commitment to democracy.
