Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has long been one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal GOP critics, even vowing to leave the party entirely if he earns a third consecutive presidential nomination this year.
As such, there has been significant speculation regarding whether she would throw her hat in the ring as a third-party spoiler candidate in her ongoing bid to defeat Trump at all costs.
During a CNN appearance over the weekend, host Jake Tapper asked her about her possible presidential ambitions and she made sure to leave the door open for a potential announcement.
On @CNNSotu, Republican Congresswoman @Liz_Cheney criticizes Bill Barr for saying he would vote for Donald Trump again and tells @JakeTapper "I haven't made any decision" about running for president herself but "I'm going to do whatever's necessary to defeat Donald Trump." pic.twitter.com/DXdjVVp3Qu
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 18, 2024
The segment began with a reiteration of Cheney’s visceral disdain for the GOP presidential front-runner.
“I haven’t endorsed anybody in this presidential race, certainly would never support Donald Trump,” she insisted.
Cheney went on to describe her belief that Trump would rule as a dictator if elected to serve another term in the White House.
“We know what Donald Trump will do because he’s telling us every day,” she claimed. “And anybody who has spent time overseas, who has spent any time overseas, who has spent any time studying the history of autocracies and of autocrats knows we have to listen to what Donald Trump is saying.”
Tapper pressed her on speculation about a White House campaign, asking: “Are you still considering it or would you rule it out?”
Cheney replied that she had not “made any decisions about it yet,” but added that she is determined “to do whatever is necessary to defeat Donald Trump.”
Her remarks came on the heels of an announcement from retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) that he would not be pursuing a centrist independent presidential bid.
The interview also touched on the former lawmaker’s preferences in the primary and general election.
She asserted that it was not “a hard call” to support former United National Ambassador Nikki Haley over Trump in the Republican primary, though she stopped short of issuing an outright endorsement of President Joe Biden in the general election.
“I’m not going to make any announcements or endorsements this morning,” Cheney said. “But the most important thing is to defeat Donald Trump and I will do whatever it takes to do that.”
