Vice President Kamala Harris joined Republican Liz Cheney in a historic rally at the birthplace of the modern Republican Party, delivering a scathing critique of GOP nominee Donald Trump as a grave threat to democracy.
With supporters holding signs reading “Country over Party,” Harris urged Americans from all political backgrounds to unite in rejecting Trump, referencing his refusal to accept the 2020 election results and his failure to stop the January 6, 2021, insurrection. “People of every party must stand together,” Harris declared, emphasizing the importance of defending democracy.
In a remarkable show of bipartisan solidarity, Harris, a Democratic nominee, acknowledged Cheney, a staunch Republican and prominent critic of Trump, demonstrating her bid to win over moderate and crossover Republican voters in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. Harris stated, “He refused to accept the will of the people and the results of a free and fair election,” adding that the presidency should not be viewed through a narrow lens of ideology or partisanship.
Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and a fierce critic of Trump, reinforced Harris’ message, saying, “Violence does not and must never determine who rules us. Voters do.” She recounted Trump’s inaction during the Capitol attack, prompting a mix of boos and cries of “coward” from the audience.
In an unusual twist, the crowd also cheered references to both Dick Cheney and former Vice President Mike Pence, who famously resisted Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election certification.