Liz Cheney says she’s voting for Kamala Harris against Trump
(WASHINGTON) — Former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, announced Wednesday that she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, revealed her decision during a panel at Duke University and reiterated her warnings of the dangers of a second Trump term.
“As a conservative and as someone who cares and believes in the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this and because of the danger Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” she said to a roaring crowd.
Harris is “proud” to get “patriot” Cheney’s endorsement, the Harris campaign said in a statement Wednesday night as it continues to court Republican voters ahead of the election.
“The Vice President is proud to have earned Congresswoman Cheney’s vote. She is a patriot who loves this country and puts our democracy and our Constitution first,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote. “As she noted in her powerful remarks, this election is a choice between the fundamental threat Donald Trump poses to our democracy and a leader who will stand up for our freedoms and the rule of law in Vice President Harris.”
Answering questions from the audience at a campaign event in Mesa, Arizona, Trump’s running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance blasted Cheney for backing Harris.
“A very good thing that I could say about the next Presidency of Donald J. Trump is that he’s going to make sure that people like Liz Cheney are laughed out of the Oval Office instead of rewarded,” Vance said.
Cheney voted to impeach Trump following what she has called the “insurrection” of Jan. 6, 2021, and was vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. She received backlash from Trump and other Republicans for her criticism of the former president and was censured by the Republican National Committee.
Trump said in March that Cheney and the entire Jan. 6 committee should be jailed.
Cheney lost her seat in the 2022 primary to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman by more than 60,000 votes, according to election results.
Since leaving Congress, Cheney has continued to criticize MAGA Republicans and Trump.
“I think we have to take everything that Donald Trump says literally and seriously,” Cheney said in an interview with ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl in December.
“And I think that we saw, frankly, what he was willing to do already after the 2020 election in the lead up to Jan. 6, after Jan 6,” she continued. “People need to remember that when Donald Trump woke up on the morning of Jan. 6, he thought he was going to remain as president. And we saw the extent to which he was willing to attempt to seize power when he lost an election.”
(WASHINGTON) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a potential vice presidential contender, has emerged among labor unions as a popular pick to join Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket, four union officials and a political consultant told ABC News.
Walz, a former public school teacher and union member, has drawn support for his record of pro-labor legislation in a blue-leaning state and his potential appeal with voters in nearby Midwest battlegrounds Wisconsin and Michigan, they said.
Still, some added, labor unions lack a consensus choice in part because it is difficult to determine which candidate will deliver the best chance of a Democratic victory in the November election.
“People are high on Walz,” Steve Rosenthal, president of political consulting firm The Organizing Group, who has spoken with unions about the potential vice presidential nominee, told ABC News. “People in the labor movement would be very comfortable with him.”
However, Rosenthal added: “Mostly people understand the desperate need to win. It’s not like there’s somebody who’s the union candidate and people have coalesced around that.”
Walz has signed into law a series of measures viewed as pro-worker. Last year, Minnesota established paid sick and medical leave, banned non-compete agreements and expanded protections for Amazon warehouse workers. In May, Minnesota enacted a measure providing a raise for Uber and Lyft drivers while averting a threat made by those companies to stop doing business in the state.
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, told ABC News that she considers Walz one of two top candidates for the vice presidential nod.
“He got the workers from Uber involved before passing the bill to support workers rights in the gig economy,” Nelson said. “That trust of workers and that understanding of the engagement of working people is absolutely something we’re looking for.”
In addition to Walz, Nelson said she backs Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as a potential VP pick, citing his willingness to walk the picket line in a red state and his legislative record on issues important to the working class such as an expansion of healthcare access.
“Those two should really rise to the top,” Nelson said of Walz and Beshear, adding that she had communicated that view to the Harris campaign. “It makes a lot of sense to lean in harder on workers’ rights when the MAGA talking points are trying to say they’re for working people.”
Representatives for Walz and Beshear did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
Labor unions, a key part of the Democratic coalition, issued a flurry of endorsements for Harris over the days following her entry into the race. Harris spoke on Thursday in Houston at the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers, a teachers’ union.
“One of the best ways to keep our nation moving forward is to give workers a voice — to protect the freedom to organize,” Harris said.
A senior staff member at a private sector union that backs Harris, who has participated in labor discussions about the vice presidential pick, said enthusiasm about Walz among union officials has grown in recent days. The person requested that their name not be used due to the sensitivity surrounding the Harris campaign’s selection of a vice president.
“Walz may not be as splashy as some of the other potential folks, but I think he will really relate with working class voters, especially in the states we need to win in November,” the person said.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wa., a labor ally, said on Thursday that she favors Walz for the vice presidential nomination due in large part to his record on worker issues.
To be sure, labor officials have not agreed upon a preferred candidate for the position, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Service Employees International Union, the largest private sector union, declined to respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the vice presidential selection. The AFL-CIO, the largest labor organization, also declined to comment.
Concern emerged in recent days over the potential selection of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly due to his previous unwillingness to back the PRO Act, a major labor reform measure. On Wednesday, Kelly said he would vote for the legislation if it came to the Senate floor. His comments were first reported by the Huffington Post.
A representative for Kelly declined to respond to a request for comment. In response to a previous request from ABC News, Kelly’s office said the Arizona senator has robustly backed labor.
“Senator Kelly is the son of two union police officers and has been a strong supporter of workers throughout his time in the Senate,” Kelly spokesperson Jacob Peters said.
Rosenthal, of The Organizing Group, said the shift in Kelly’s position warded off a concerted opposition campaign from organized labor.
“Had Kelly not taken the position he did, there would be a significant amount of pushback from labor unions,” Rosenthal said, later adding: “Overall, it’s really about winning.”
Jim McLaughlin, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, the largest private sector union in Arizona, praised Kelly in a post on X on Wednesday. “Unions in Arizona know [Kelly] for his commitment to the state and to our nation,” McLaughlin said. “I respect Senator Kelly and am encouraged by the consideration he is being given by the [Kamala Harris] campaign.
At least one labor leader took issue with Kelly after his newfound support for the PRO Act. “If he changed his position on the PRO Act, he would’ve signed onto it,” Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen told ABC News on Thursday.
“I’ve heard talk about Walz from other union presidents,” Samuelsen added. “And Tim Walz certainly sounds like a dream come true relative to Mark Kelly.”
A labor leader, who has endorsed Harris, voiced praise for Walz’s pro-labor legislative accomplishments and his potential appeal in the Midwest. At the same time, the person lauded Kelly as a skilled campaigner who would perform well as a running mate. The person requested that ABC News not use their name due to the sensitivity surrounding Harris’s selection of a vice presidential nominee.
The decision should ultimately come down to which of vice presidential choices best helps Harris win the election, the person added. “It’s hard to know,” they said.
(WASHINGTON) — As Vice President Kamala Harris continues to search for her 2024 running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is receiving some new buzz.
Walz, a veteran and former public school teacher now in his second term as governor, is making a name for himself in the veepstakes conversation as he stumps for Harris on the campaign trail and in cable news hits on CNN, MSNBC and even Fox News.
Clips of him at an event for Harris in St. Paul on Saturday clad in a simple gray T-shirt and camouflage baseball hat have gone viral online, as are his comments describing Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as “weird” people.
While he hasn’t said if he’s received vetting materials from the Harris campaign, Walz said on Sunday it was “certainly an honor” to be mentioned as a possible pick.
“I put him pretty low, as most of us did, as a candidate for vice president but he’s absolutely everywhere at this point and he’s getting a really good bounce,” said David Schultz, a professor of political science at Hamline University in Minnesota.
Walz, 60, served in the Army National Guard and was a high school social studies teacher and football coach before he was elected to Congress in 2006. He served for six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing a rural area of the state that had typically leaned conservative.
As governor, with the help of a narrow Democratic majority in the state legislature, he’s implemented a bevy of progressive policies including: paid family leave, universal school breakfast and lunch, legalization of recreational marijuana use, state codification of abortion rights and gun control measures like universal background checks and red flag laws.
“He’s good at articulating the argument for the Democratic Party’s agenda and he himself can say, ‘Look, I’m an example. My state is an example of what happens when you elect Democrats,'” said Schultz.
“He seems to have some buzz with some progressives, with some younger voters at this point,” he added. “He’s been able to check the box with a lot of critical constituencies in terms of where he stands on a variety of issues.”
One vocal supporter of Walz in recent days has been David Hogg, the co-founder of March for Our Lives — one of the country’s largest youth-led movements. The group made its first-ever presidential endorsement in support of Harris last week.
Hogg has said Walz would make an “incredible VP” and praised the governor as “so down to earth and such an excellent communicator.”
Others online have shared similar views, saying Walz “talks like a human” and comes across as “authentic.”
“Governor Walz has caught fire not because of one viral interview but because he talks to voters like they’re his neighbors,” said Tim Hogan, a Democratic strategist who was the communications director for Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s 2020 presidential campaign.
“He speaks in a way that is real, and the more voters learn about him, the more they like him,” Hogan said. “With a slim majority in Minnesota, he lowered costs for families and improved health care. It’s a Prairie Populist agenda that has worked in the Midwest, and he’s now bringing it to the national stage.”
As a surrogate for Harris, Walz has praised her for reenergizing the party and has defended her record against Trump’s attacks claiming she is “ultra-liberal.”
“He’s going to roll it out, mispronounce names, you know, to try and make the case,” Walz said of Trump attacking Harris during an appearance Sunday on CNN. “The fact of the matter is where you see the policies that Vice President Harris was a part of making, Democratic governors across the country executed those policies and quality of life is higher, the economies are better, all of those things, educational attainment is better.”
Walz’s communication style, Midwest bonafides and blue-collar background could make him an attractive pick for Harris.
Still, there are things working against him when it come to what Harris may be seeking in a running mate, Schultz said.
Unlike other contenders, such as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Walz doesn’t represent a key 2024 swing state battleground.
And his record, while a boon for Democrats, could be fodder for Republicans to tag a Harris-Walz ticket as too progressive.
“By Minnesota standards, Walz is center-left,” Schultz said. “If you look at the critical swing states across the United States, like Georgia and Pennsylvania, he’s absolutely liberal in those states.”
Walz has also responded to criticisms that he may be viewed as too liberal.
“What a monster!” Walz quipped on CNN. “Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn and women are making their own healthcare decisions … So, if that’s where they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label.”
There are about 12 people being considered for Harris’s running mate, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce. Harris is expected to make her announcement by Aug. 7.
(WASHINGTON) — On Saturday, roughly an hour before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump — President Joe Biden was in the midst of a heated phone call with moderate House Democrats.
The Zoom call, according to multiple sources, did not go well for the president.
The call was between the New Democrat Coalition, which includes a mix of nearly 100 moderate and some progressive-adjacent members, and President Biden, and focused mostly on members’ concerns about Biden’s ability to win the election.
One House Democrat on the call told ABC News that Biden was not prepared for questions, that he gave “rambling responses” without answering questions, and downplayed their concerns.
Members were largely dismayed with Biden’s presentation, lack of a strategy, and preparation for anticipated questions, according to sources.
He was also late to the call by about 30 minutes, per sources.
The call turned personal during what was described as a “tense” exchange with Colorado Democrat Rep. Jason Crow, per multiple sources.
Crow questioned Biden’s mental fitness and if his age is a “national security risk.” The president was “defensive” in his responses, sources say.
A member described to ABC News the exchange was “hard to watch” and detailed how Crow referenced voters’ concerns about Biden being “at the helm when they go to sleep at night.”
The conversation became personal when Biden mentioned Crow’s Bronze Star and attempted to bring up his son Beau, the member said. Two sources described Biden’s exchange with the former Army Ranger as “incoherent” and “unintelligible.”
One member suggested to ABC News that members on the call were left “aghast” after this particular exchange — with members shaking their heads, some with their hands on their faces in apparent shock.
One member confirmed to ABC News the accuracy of the following comments from Biden aimed towards Crow:
“You saw what happened recently in terms of the meeting we had with NATO. I put NATO together,” Biden said.
“Name me a foreign leader who thinks I’m not the most effective leader in the world on foreign policy. Tell me! Tell me who the hell that is! Tell me who put NATO back together!’ he said.
“Tell me who enlarged NATO, tell me who did the Pacific basin! Tell me who did something that you’ve never done with your Bronze Star like my son — and I’m proud of your leadership, but guess what, what’s happening, we’ve got Korea and Japan working together, I put Aukus together, anyway!” he said.
“Things are in chaos, and I’m bringing some order to it. And again, find me a world leader who’s an ally of ours who doesn’t think I’m the most respected person they’ve ever—” he said.
Biden also called on members of Congress to do a “better job” of promoting his successes, implying their lack of support was somehow the reason for his eroding electoral standing, according to a source.
According to a source, the call was controlled by the Biden team and ended before members could ask questions. Biden told members he had to go to Mass.
Sources told ABC News that were it not for the assassination attempt against the former president, multiple Democrats were potentially ready to call for Biden to step aside after the call ended.
The next day — on Sunday — Crow appeared on television, saying the conversation with the president and the New Dem Coalition was “robust.”
“Listen, you know, this is a tough business. There’s a lot at stake. Emotions can run high,” he said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“I think the president heard our message very clearly, and in fact he promised to come back to us with more information,” he added.
Several Democrats also released statements after the call commending the president.
New Hampshire Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said the conversation was “candid, respectful, and productive.”
“Moving forward we expect President Biden to do everything in his power to demonstrate to the American people that Democrats will keep the White House and flip the House,” she said in a statement.
The Biden-Harris campaign declined to comment but pointed to various social media posts from members supportive of the president.
The campaign also did not dispute the account of Crow’s exchange with the president.
ABC’s Mariam Khan, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.