Former US vice president Dick Cheney slammed Donald Trump in a campaign video in support of his daughter Liz Cheney, saying no one is a “greater threat to our republic” than the former president.
The campaign advertisement was released on Thursday by Ms Cheney's re-election campaign, two weeks before a Republican primary in Wisconsin that the January 6 committee vice chairwoman is expected to lose by a wide margin. Echoing the warnings of his daughter, Mr Cheney said Mr Trump's continued false claims about the 2020 election are a danger to the US.
“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Mr Cheney said.
“He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him.
“He is a coward. A real man wouldn’t lie to his supporters. He lost his election, and he lost big. I know it, he knows it, and deep down, I think most Republicans know it.”
Ms Cheney has been a frequent target of Mr Trump since she and nine other Republicans voted to impeach him for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. The former president endorsed her primary challenger, lawyer Harriet Hageman, who has repeated Mr Trump's claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
In January, Mr Cheney and his daughter were the two lone Republicans to attend a US House session on the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol.
Mr Cheney praised his daughter in the new campaign video for “standing up for the truth, doing what’s right, honouring her oath to the constitution, when so many in our party are too scared to do so”.
Mr Cheney served as vice president under George W Bush from 2001-2009, when he held considerable influence over American foreign policy. He was a key architect of the Iraq war and a champion of the CIA's use of torture in the early years of America's “war on terror”.
Memorable quotes from January 6 hearings — in pictures
-
'There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain.' Congresswoman and January 6 committee vice chairwoman Liz Cheney to Republican colleagues who have defended Mr Trump's claims of election fraud. AFP -
'January 6 was the culmination of an attempted coup - a brazen attempt, as one rioter put it shortly after January 6 - to overthrow the government.' Committee chairman Bennie Thompson. EPA -
Mr Trump 'was willing to sacrifice our republic to prolong his presidency. I can imagine no more dishonourable acts by a president.' Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger. AFP -
Donald Trump had this 'arsenal of allegations. I went through them piece by piece to say, no, they were not true'. Former acting deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue. EPA -
'There were no votes to find.' Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after Donald Trump asked him and his deputy, Gabriel Sterling, to 'find 11,780' votes that could flip Georgia in the president's favour. AFP -
Competing against Donald Trump’s lies was like a 'shovel trying to empty the ocean'. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State chief operating officer. AFP -
'As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic, it was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie.' Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to then White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, speaking about the insurrection. AFP -
!['I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/RLINK2AWKRFONAWRZ7TNQF6VI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=898bee20e87c352f4801c4275eab58720719d25c3b0343a94bb0b4d88c1d38f4&width=400&height=225)
'I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP -
'I respect attorney general Barr. So, I accepted what he was saying.' Ivanka Trump, former White House senior adviser. AP -
'We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country any more.' Donald Trump on January 6, 2021. Reuters -
A Confederate battle flag that reads 'Come and Take It' and shows a military-style rifle flies as rioters storm the Capitol on January 6, 2001. Reuters -
A Trump supporter sprays smoke. Reuters -
Police attempt to push the mob back. AFP -
The pro-Trump mob swarms the Capitol as police release tear gas. Reuters -
Protesters clash with police. Reuters -
Pro-Trump protesters storm into the US Capitol. Reuters -
A police flash-bang blast lights up the Capitol. Reuters -
Before the insurrection, Mr Trump is seen on a screen speaking to supporters during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results. Reuters -
People march with those who say they are members of the Proud Boys as they attend a rally in Washington in support of former president Donald Trump. AP
!['I told him [Donald Trump] that the stuff his people were shovelling out to the public was bull***t.' Former attorney general William Barr. AP](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/RLINK2AWKRFONAWRZ7TNQF6VI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=898bee20e87c352f4801c4275eab58720719d25c3b0343a94bb0b4d88c1d38f4&width=800&height=450)
