During an event at Duke University, Ms. Cheney told students that it was not enough for her to simply oppose the former president, if she intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent Mr. Trump from winning the White House again, as she has long said she would.
“I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Ms. Cheney said, speaking to students in the hotly contested state of North Carolina. “As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this and 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.”
The room erupted in cheers after she made her unexpected announcement.
The decision by Ms. Cheney...to shift from condemning Mr. Trump to backing the Democratic presidential nominee was a striking one even from a leader who has established herself as one of the most vocally anti-Trump Republicans in the country....Ms. Cheney had remained silent until now. She chose not to speak at the Democratic National Convention, making the decision to wait for a stand-alone moment in September, closer to when early voting was set to begin.
It was a strategic choice to ensure her voice would not be lost in a sea of convention speeches, according to people familiar with her thinking.
