|
Cheney was the top Republican on the House committee that
investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, earning Trump’s
disdain and effectively exiling herself from her own party.
Cheney lost her Wyoming seat to a Trump-endorsed candidate two
years ago and she endorsed Harris, the Democratic nominee, last
month. The two women will appear together in a historic white
schoolhouse in Ripon, where a series of meetings held in 1854 to
oppose slavery’s expansion led to the birth of the Republican
Party.
Harris is opening a two-day stay in Wisconsin and Michigan, and
Trump will be in Michigan on Thursday as the two candidates
grapple for wins in the “blue wall” battleground states, which
also include Pennsylvania.
Harris’ visit to Wisconsin comes one day after a federal judge
unsealed a 165-page court filing outlining prosecutors’ case
against Trump for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election
defeat. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy
and obstruction.
It’s uncommon, to say the least, for a candidate to give a nod
to the origins of the opposing party in the closing weeks of a
presidential campaign. Not only that, the Cheney name was once
anathema to Democrats who deplored Dick Cheney, Liz’s father,
for his role as vice president under George W. Bush.
But now both Cheneys are backing Harris, part of a cadre of
current and former Republican officials who have broken with the
vast majority of their party, which remains in Trump’s corner.
Harris wants to portray her candidacy as a patriotic choice for
independent and conservative voters who were disturbed by
Trump’s unwillingness to cede power. Trump continues to deny his
defeat with false claims of voter fraud.
Harris on Friday will hold a campaign rally in Flint, Michigan,
continuing her tour of states that have been critical to
Democratic victories. Trump won Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and
Michigan in 2016, and Joe Biden won them in 2020.
Trump on Thursday will hold a rally in Saginaw County, a
bellwether in the center of the state.
The Republican candidate has ramped up his focus on Michigan,
holding two rallies there less than a week ago. In 2020, Biden's
win in Saginaw County by a slim 303 votes contributed to his
victory in the state.
___
Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan,
contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
