Liz Cheney, the outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump within the GOP, offered her perspective on former Vice President Mike Pence’s recent decision not to endorse Trump for the 2024 election.
Pence, who served as vice president alongside Trump from 2017 to 2021, made his announcement during an appearance on Fox News, stating that he would not be supporting his former running mate in the upcoming election. Trump secured the necessary delegate count to become the presumptive GOP nominee after consistently leading in primary polls.
During his announcement, Pence explained that he couldn’t endorse Trump due to differences in their political agendas. Pence himself had pursued the nomination earlier but withdrew from the race in October. Many observers also pointed out that during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, some participants had explicitly targeted Pence, following Trump’s unfounded claims about Pence’s ability to alter the election outcome.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I won’t be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” Pence remarked. “Throughout my presidential campaign, I emphasized significant differences between myself and President Trump on various issues.”
He continued, “Donald Trump is promoting an agenda that diverges from the conservative principles we upheld during our time in office. Therefore, I cannot, in good conscience, endorse him for this campaign.”
In response to Pence’s announcement, George Conway, a conservative lawyer, queried Cheney on X (formerly Twitter), asking if she knew of any other former GOP vice presidents who opposed Trump as the party’s nominee.
Cheney replied, “Indeed, I do,” and shared a video clip of her father, Dick Cheney, expressing his disapproval of Trump. Dick Cheney had served as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.
“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who poses a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Dick Cheney stated in the video. “He attempted to subvert the last election through deceit and violence, seeking to retain power despite being rejected by voters. He is not a leader but a coward. A true leader wouldn’t deceive their supporters. He lost the election decisively, and everyone knows it – even deep down, I believe most Republicans understand this.”
The video originally aired as part of Cheney’s reelection campaign ad during the 2022 midterm elections. Cheney, known for her staunch opposition to Trump within the House GOP, faced significant challenges from both the pro-Trump faction of her party and Trump himself. Ultimately, she lost her bid for reelection to Harriet Hageman, who received Trump’s endorsement.
