Former U.S. Vice-President and lifelong Republican Dick Cheney has announced that he will vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the upcoming November presidential election. Cheney, who played a significant role during George W. Bush’s presidency, released a statement criticizing Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee, as “the greatest threat to our republic” in history.

Cheney’s daughter, former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, had earlier revealed her father’s intention to support Harris. In his statement, Cheney condemned Trump, saying, “He [Trump] attempted to overturn the last election with lies and violence to cling to power after being rejected by the voters. He should never be trusted with power again.” Cheney emphasized the importance of prioritizing the country over party loyalty, stating, “As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice-President Kamala Harris.”

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

Cheney’s decision adds him to a growing number of Republicans voicing concerns about Trump’s candidacy. Liz Cheney, who has also endorsed Harris, served on the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots and was one of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the attack. She lost her congressional seat in 2022 to a Trump-endorsed challenger.

In response to Cheney’s statement, Trump took to social media, dismissing the former vice-president as an “irrelevant RINO” (Republican in Name Only) and labeled him the “King of Endless, Nonsensical Wars,” referencing Cheney’s role in the Iraq War.