Key Takeaways:
– Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Liz Cheney join forces against Trump in Wisconsin.
– The duo accuses Trump as a threat to democracy, citing his refusal to accept the 2020 election results.
– Harris’s campaign strategy includes winning over moderate and crossover Republican voters.
– Cheney continues to be one of Trump’s harshest critics within the GOP.
– Despite Cheney endorsing Harris, erstwhile President Trump remains confident that they’re each other’s downfall.
Harris and Cheney: A United Front against Trumpism
In a remarkably unconventional gesture, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris joined hands with Republican Liz Cheney in Ripon, Wisconsin, to criticize former GOP nominee Donald Trump. At the very hotbed of the modern Republican Party, the two women voiced their concerns about Trump’s potential danger to democracy.
Quote Placards hoisted by numerous attendants contained the slogan, “Country Over Party,” clearly expressing bipartisan support. Harris stressed upon unity beyond party lines to counter Trump’s impact. Her speech blasted Trump’s denial to affirm the 2020 election results and his inability to turn down the Capitol insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Kansas Harris Courts the Moderate GOP
Harris’s candid endorsement of a rival party member, especially at a time when Presidential campaigns reach their zenith, revealed her intent to woo moderate and crossover Republican voters. “Trump denied accepting the will of the people and the results of an election that was free and fair,” emphasized Harris. She affirmed a broader vision for a president, who must consider national interests above party politics and self-concerns.
Cheney: Trump’s Toughest Critic in GOP
Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, is one of Trump’s stern critics. Reflecting her stark opposition, she served as the lead Republican officer on the House committee that probed the January 6 insurrection. This tolerant stand won her Trump’s scorn, shifting her to the peripheries of the Trump-centric GOP.
Returning Trump’s Negative Approach
Cheney’s retort to Trump was no less direct. In her address to the crowd, she vehemently condemned the violence associated with the Capitol attack. Her rebuke of Trump’s passivity during the riot resonated with the audience, provoking shouts of “Coward!” aimed at the former President.
The crowd also surprisingly cheered for other former Republican vice presidents: Mike Pence and Dick Cheney. Pence, in particular, won their admiration for his refusal to succumb to Trump’s pressure to halt Joe Biden’s Congressional certification of the 2020 results. Cheney didn’t hold back either, underscoring that, “Violence does not and must never determine who rules us. Voters do.”
Cheney & Harris Verses Trump: A Surreal Scene
In an interview with Fox News, Trump offered his opinion on the unexpected Cheney-Harris alliance, stating, “I think they hurt each other. I think they’re so bad, both of them.” Trump remains seemingly unfazed despite Cheney losing her Wyoming congressional seat to a Trump-endorsed candidate and later endorsing Harris.
The symbolic location of Ripon witnessed the unity of the two women, who delivered their speeches where the Republican Party was conceived in 1854. Cheney expressed her admiration for Harris saying, “she loves our country and will be a president for all Americans.” Harris and Trump engaged in parallel campaign trails, aiming victory in the “blue wall” battleground states.
Contemporary Status of Trump, Cheney, and Harris
While the two women rallied in Wisconsin, Trump defended the January 6 rioters on his social media handles. Simultaneously, back at the White House, President Joe Biden lauded Cheney’s courage and character.
Harris campaigned in Wisconsin and Michigan amidst unfolding legal developments. A newly unsealed 165-page court filing outlined the case against Trump for allegations of conspiracy and obstruction during the overturning of his 2020 election defeat. Meanwhile, Trump continued his campaign in Michigan and Georgia, independent of these revelations.
The Unusual Cheney-Harris Collaboration
The Cheney-Harris collaboration has elicited mixed reactions from the audience. Some, like Victor Romero, 46, found it “weird,” though acknowledging that Cheney understands the current state of the Republican Party. Younger audience members, on the other hand, admired Cheney’s stand against Trump.
In essence, this unexpected alliance reflects the drastic political transformations within the GOP. Despite the differences, Cheney and Harris are united in one belief: an undemocratic Donald Trump poses a threat to American democracy.