The former member of Congress’ announcement comes after she flirted briefly with mounting her own third-party bid.

By Megan Messerly

09/04/2024 07:05 PM EDT

Updated: 09/04/2024 09:43 PM EDT

Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said Wednesday that she will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for president because of the “danger” she believes former President Donald Trump poses.

Her remarks, during an appearance at Duke University, came after the Wyoming Republican briefly flirted with her own third-party bid for president. Once the No. 3 leader of the House Republican Conference, Cheney has long warned of the threat she says the former president poses to American democracy.

“As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this, and because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” she said to applause and a standing ovation from the audience.

The former Wyoming representative, who had not previously said how she planned to vote in November, said that voters in swing states, like North Carolina, who dislike Trump need to do more than just not vote for him — but actively cast their ballots for Harris.

“Because we are here in North Carolina, I think it is crucially important for people to recognize not only is what I’ve said about the danger that Trump poses something that should prevent people from voting for him, but I don’t believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” she said.

Her announcement comes after more than 200 staffers for four Republican presidential nominees — former President George H.W. Bush, former President George W. Bush, former Arizona Sen. John McCain and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney — last week endorsed Harris for president.

Cheney, a fierce Trump critic, was ousted from her seat after she refused to temper her criticisms of Trump following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. She served as the vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, which probed the attack.

The former president’s political operation was crucial to Cheney’s 2022 primary defeat. Her opponent ran with Trump’s support, was advised by those in his camp and was funded by his donors.

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, criticized Cheney on Wednesday night during an event in Arizona, accusing her of “sending other people’s children off to fight and die for her military conflicts and her ridiculous ideas.”

“Kamala Harris and Liz Cheney make very, very interesting partners,” he said. “They get rich when America’s sons and daughters go off to die.”

In a statement, Harris’ campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, praised Cheney as a patriot and said the vice president is proud to have her vote.

In December, Cheney published a book, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” which details how her former Republican colleagues, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, laid the groundwork for the events that led to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.