Cheney says she "won't do anything" to help Trump in 2024
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Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) in June 2023. Photo: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) emphasized Thursday she wouldn't "do anything" to help her enemy former President Trump in the 2024 election, days after suggesting she'd mount a third-party presidential bid.
Why it matters: Spoiler candidates could tip the election in favor of either historically unpopular frontrunner in the 2024 race — Trump or President Biden — and they're playing an unusually outsized role in the cycle.
- "I won't do anything that would help him," Cheney said during a "CBS Mornings" interview on Thursday.
Catch up quick: Cheney made headlines Tuesday after The Washington Post published an interview citing her saying she'd do "whatever it takes" to stop Trump from winning, including a potential third-party run.
- She didn't rule out backing Biden if she decided not to run.
- "When I say I'll do whatever it takes, I mean that we need to look at our politics in a very different way," she told "CBS Mornings" on Thursday.
- "There are a whole range of things we need to do to think anew about nonpartisanship, about voting for the Constitution, not for whatever political party people may be part of," she continued.
What she's saying: Cheney, who lost her primary in 2022 to a Trump-backed opponent, told CBS the former president was not an acceptable option for president.
- She emphasized appealing to moderates and independents with an anti-Trump message.
- "I'll be supporting pro-Constitution candidates, no matter their party," she said.
Context: Cheney, who served as vice chair of the House Jan. 6 committee, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The big picture: Trump is polling well beyond the other Republicans in the presidential primary. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is polling in second, while former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is polling in third.
- Haley has picked up momentum, with a stream of billionaires and Wall Street mega-donors increasingly viewing her as a viable Trump alternative.
Go deeper: Meet the spoilers: Who's declared or considering third-party White House bids
Editor's note: This headline has been changed to reflect Cheney's comments and quotes added for additional context.
