Former VP Dick Cheney supports Kamala Harris: "Trump tried to steal the last election using lies"

Former US Vice-President and lifelong Republican Dick Cheney has announced he will support the Democrats' Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.

Cheney, a prominent figure during George W. Bush’s presidency, released a statement asserting that there has "never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," the current Republican candidate.

His daughter, Liz Cheney, a former Republican legislator, had previously disclosed to an audience in Texas that her father intended to support the Democratic nominee.

“He [Trump] tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him," said Mr Cheney. "He can never be trusted with power again."

Mr Cheney emphasized, “As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our constitution." He concluded, "That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice-President Kamala Harris.”

Cheney's comments were met positively by Harris’s campaign team.

“The vice-president is proud to have the support of Vice-President Cheney, and deeply respects his courage to put country over party,” said campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.

Cheney is among a growing number of Republicans expressing concerns about Donald Trump's candidacy.

His daughter, Liz Cheney, has already pledged her support to Vice-President Harris. She was part of the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riots and was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the events. Liz Cheney lost her Congressional seat in 2022 to a Trump-supported candidate.

In response to Mr Cheney's statement, Trump took to social media, labeling the former vice-president as an "irrelevant RINO" — meaning "Republican in name only."

Trump also referred to Mr Cheney as the "King of Endless, Nonsensical Wars," a nod to his involvement in the Iraq War.