One week away from Election Day, U.S. Representative Liz Cheney made an appearance at Cleveland State for an event hosted by The City Club of Cleveland to share her thoughts on the state of the nation.
Cheney has risen in political prominence due to her criticisms of former President Donald Trump and her role as Vice Chair of the Jan. 6 committee. In fact, her stance on Trump cost her the Republican primary in Wyoming this past August against Trump-endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman.
Democratic Endorsements
During her visit, Cheney publicly endorsed Democrat Tim Ryan, who is running for Ohio’s Senate seat, and briefly addressed her recent endorsement of Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin. The latter is running for re-election in Michigan’s seventh congressional district.
JD Vance, the Republican candidate for the Ohio Senate seat this election cycle, is an avid Trump supporter who was endorsed by the former President earlier this year. In recent political events, Vance has publicly pushed Trump’s election lies.
Although Cheney has identified as a Republican her entire political career, she believes that the country is at a place where we, as a collective, should not be handing political power to anyone who is willing to excuse Trump’s behavior during the 2020 presidential election–from his accusations of a stolen election to his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“I would not vote for JD Vance,” Cheney said during the interview. She affirmed that if she could vote in the state of Ohio, her vote would go to Ryan.
Cheney’s support for Slotkin’s re-election in Michigan stems from similar beliefs, despite their policy disagreements. Cheney boils a strong elected official down to an individual who will work to preserve “fidelity to the Constitution” which she believes doesn’t align with the actions of those who support Trump.
“We’re at a moment in our history where you can’t give power to people who are willing to excuse what happened, and I think it comes down to individual responsibility that each one of us has,” Cheney said at The City Club of Cleveland event.
Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 Committee
Throughout the discussion, Cheney also offered insights into the current work of the Jan. 6 committee. On Oct. 21, the committee issued a subpoena to Trump that requires him to testify under oath and turn over documents relevant to their investigation. Cheney was compelled to discuss these recent events in detail.
“The committee is in discussion with Donald Trump’s attorneys, and he has an obligation to comply. You know, we treat this and take this very seriously,” Cheney said. “This is not a situation where the committee is going to put itself at the mercy of Donald Trump.”
Ultimately, Cheney believes America deserves elected officials who will protect and preserve the Republic and its founding documents.
“We need to demand excellence among our elected officials,” Cheney said. “We need to demand confidence and responsibility, and that means we need more candidates.”
Election Day
The state of Ohio faces two pivotal races, both of which could have lasting effects on the state and nation.
The battle for Ohio’s Senate seat proves to be one of the most competitive this election cycle. Candidates Ryan and Vance remain neck and neck, with Cheney’s endorsement for Ryan only heightening the anticipation.
After the event, Cheney also endorsed Republican Mike DeWine, who is running for a second term as the Governor of Ohio.
The polls for the Ohio Gubernatorial race show that DeWine’s lead over his challenger Democrat Nan Whaley hasn’t wavered.
Cheney is not the only government official to visit Cleveland State, as Senator Sherrod Brown also visited recently to encourage students to register to vote.
Election Day is Nov. 8
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