Former GOP Rep. Cheney rips 'petty, vindictive, cruel' Trump at Harris rally

MADISON, Wis. -- Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney introduced Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Wisconsin on Thursday, citing the “critical moment in our nation’s history” which has led her to vote for a Democrat for the first time in her life.

Cheney, the former co-chair of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, laid out former President Donald Trump's actions on that day before telling the crowd, “I don’t care if you are a Democrat or a Republican or an independent. That is depravity, and we must never become numb to it. Any person who would do these things can never be trusted with power again.”

“What January 6 shows us is that there is not an ounce – not an ounce – of compassion in Donald Trump," Cheney said. "He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel, and Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation."

Cheney is among a handful of prominent Republicans, including her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who have pledged to support Harris' bid, but her endorsement, as one of former President Donald Trump's most outspoken critics within the party, is one that Harris hopes to leverage in crucial states like Wisconsin, whose margins are expected to be razor thin.

Cheney represented Wyoming in the House for three terms, but she lost her 2022 primary against Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, a one-time Cheney adviser.

As she addressed the crowd Cheney said, "we are bound together by the one thing that matters to us as Americans more than any other, and that's our duty to our Constitution and our belief in the miracle and the blessing of this incredible nation."

"We have a shared commitment as Americans to ensuring that future generations live in a nation where power is transferred peacefully, where our leaders are men and women of good faith, and where our public servants set aside partisan battles to do what's right for this country," she added.

Harris leads Trump by roughly 2 percentage points in Wisconsin, according to 538's polling average in the state.

Asked by FOX News about Cheney appearing with Harris, Trump replied, "Liz Cheney lost for Congress. She was terrible. Liz Cheney is a stupid war hawk. All she wants to do is shoot missiles at people. I really think it hurts. I think, frankly, if Kamala, I think they hurt each other. I think they're so bad both of them."

The location of Thursday's event was symbolic: the central Wisconsin city of Ripon, where an 1854 meeting at a local schoolhouse helped form the Republican Party.

Earlier Thursday, the campaign announced endorsements of Harris by more than 20 Republicans in Wisconsin, including current and former officials.

"We, the undersigned, are Republicans from across Wisconsin who bring the same message: Donald Trump does not align with Wisconsin values. To ensure our democracy and our economy remain strong for another four years, we must elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House," the group wrote in a letter.

"We have plenty of policy disagreements with Vice President Harris. But what we do agree upon is more important," they wrote.

The implications for Harris of appealing to Republicans could be significant in Wisconsin, Joe Zepecki, a Milwaukee-based Democratic strategist, told ABC News.

"The more Republicans she gets, and the more Republicans she gets to simply leave a ballot line blank when they might otherwise be voting for Donald Trump, that makes the math virtually impossible for the Republicans," Zepecki said.

Cheney endorsed Harris in a post on X last month, saying, "As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris."

Cheney's appearance comes just one day after the publication of a 165-page filing by special counsel Jack Smith, in which he unveiled new evidence about Trump's efforts in the weeks after the 2020 election to reverse the results.

Editor's note: This story has been updated.