The next is a transcript of an interview with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Oct. 27, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re again with former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who has been campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris. Welcome again to Face the Nation.
FORMER REP. LIZ CHENEY: Thanks. Nice to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ve a variety of questions for you, however I do wish to begin the place I left off with Senator Vance. He responded to your characterization of him as a misogynistic pig by attacking your father and his position within the Iraq Conflict, Donald Trump has additionally finished so. Do you care to reply?
LIZ CHENEY: Look, I feel that they’re doing every thing they will to attempt to distract from the truth that the individuals who know Donald Trump greatest, together with retired 4 Star Marine Common John Kelly, who’s a gold star father, have come out and stated very clearly and really on to the American those that Donald Trump isn’t match, that Donald Trump himself, standing close to the graves of our fallen service members, says issues like they’re suckers and losers. All of us watched on January 6, when Donald Trump sat within the eating room subsequent to the Oval Workplace for hours, for hours, and watched individuals along with his flags and his title, a mob he had despatched to the Capitol, he watched them brutally beat cops and invade our Capitol. His personal vp isn’t voting for him. Chiefs of employees aren’t voting for him, secretaries of protection, Nationwide Safety Adviser so, you already know, that is utterly unprecedented. I do not assume, definitely in my lifetime, most likely in American historical past, have you ever had a scenario the place so most of the high officers of the previous president are saying they will not vote for him. And I feel you already know, we will hear continued assaults and rhetoric from Donald Trump and JD Vance to attempt to cowl that up. However on the finish of the day, it is desperation the American individuals are- are a lot smarter than that and- they usually see by way of it. I am assured.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Given how outspoken you may have been, are you involved about your private safety if Donald Trump wins this election, as he properly might do?
LIZ CHENEY: Look, initially, I’m very assured that Vice President Harris goes to win this election. It is what we’re seeing all throughout the nation, the form of completely unprecedented coalition that is coming collectively to assist her. You recognize, we’re all going to run by way of the tape, and no person is overconfident right here, however I do consider she’s going to be the subsequent President of the USA. And I feel that Donald Trump has ushered violence into our politics in a means that we’ve not seen earlier than. Any violence is unacceptable. Definitely, the assassination try on the previous president was utterly unacceptable and clearly ought to by no means have occurred. However when you may have a scenario the place, you already know, Donald Trump means that individuals who disagree with him must be put earlier than army tribunals, that the previous chairman of the chief- Joint Chiefs of Workers ought to be hanged for treason, and his operating mate, you already know, doubles down on it, you already know, I feel that that tells you that you just’re coping with a person who does not have any conscience, and the individuals who labored most intently with him know that, and so I am assured that he’ll be defeated subsequent week.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re seeing a very fascinating gender divide on this election, and I do know you have been interesting to individuals to vote their conscience, and also you stated they by no means need to say a phrase to anyone about who they really do vote for. Yesterday, former first woman Michelle Obama stated one thing related. Take a pay attention.
[START SOUND ON TAPE]
FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA: If you’re a girl who lives in a family of males that do not take heed to you or worth your opinion, simply do not forget that your vote is a personal matter. Whatever the political opinions of your associate, you get to decide on.
[END SOUND ON TAPE]
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’ve to say it is a bit of hanging. It sounds a bit of Fifties or Seventies. Are you actually listening to from feminine voters that they are afraid to inform their spouses who they’re voting for?
LIZ CHENEY: Yeah, you already know, what we’re seeing is so necessary and so fascinating. You have seen an actual coalition of ladies who’re pro-life and pro-choice come collectively to assist vp Harris, and that is as a result of we have seen a number of the simply the draconian legal guidelines which have been handed in locations like Texas and North Carolina which can be stopping girls from getting lifesaving well being care, stopping girls from getting medical care that you already know will make sure that, if they’ve a miscarriage, that they will have infants once more, simply essentially a set of circumstances that may’t be maintained. And so, you may have a rising coalition supporting Vice President Harris. You definitely have had many Republicans who’re talking out to endorse her, which, once more, is unprecedented. And there are additionally many Republicans and independents who’re saying, look, you already know, I do not wish to deliver the wrath of, you already know, Donald Trump and JD Vance down on me. So, I’ll vote my conscience. I am not going to speak about it. And we, you already know, clearly, encourage that your vote is a secret vote. You must do what you already know is true and- and I feel you are going to have, frankly, a whole lot of women and men who will go into the voting sales space and can vote their conscience, will vote for Vice President Harris. They might not ever say something publicly, however the outcomes will communicate for themselves.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It is an fascinating coalition you are speaking about by way of the pro-life motion and the place we are actually. And also you’re speaking a couple of coalition right here. How do you clarify to somebody at dwelling who might agree, as you do, with the pro-life place that abortion is homicide, and reconcile that with placing that conviction apart and voting for Vice President Harris. How did you do this?
LIZ CHENEY: Yeah, I do not assume it is about placing convictions apart. I feel it is about trying on the actuality on the bottom of what is occurred since Roe was overturned. And once more, when you may have a spot like Texas the place girls want lifesaving care, you already know, maybe it is a girl who’s had a miscarriage and she or he could also be bleeding out and she or he can’t get a DNC, she will be able to’t get the care that she wants, as a result of there’s concern that perhaps that care has been criminalized. And you already know, you may have a scenario additionally in Texas the place the Lawyer Common is suing, actually he is suing in order that he can see the medical data of ladies who’ve sought abortions. And you already know, that is coming from individuals who assist Donald Trump, and Donald Trump will not let anyone see his personal medical data. So, the concept that that, you already know, you have acquired these sorts of insurance policies and state legal guidelines being put in place is admittedly mobilizing girls to say, look, you already know, you do not have to desert being pro-life, however this sort of circumstance, this sort of actually abhorrent scenario the place girls cannot get medical care they want, that simply cannot go on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you assume that Vice President Harris going to the Ellipse on Tuesday, as she plans to do, to make her closing argument is admittedly the best one, as a result of we see in our polling that on either side of the aisle, every celebration is blaming the opposite for undermining democracy. Why do you assume that might assist put Harris over the mark and assist win?
LIZ CHENEY: Yeah, I feel it is so fascinating. I feel when you- whenever you take a look at the polling, initially, individuals have to recollect, that is the primary presidential election post-January 6, and so you already know, you have acquired, in truth, most of the identical individuals who had been promising a crimson wave in 2022 doing the identical factor now, we’re not going to see it now. We did not see it then. And what Vice President Harris has finished, I’ve watched her do it. I’ve sat subsequent to her on the stage as she does it. She talks about an entire vary of points. She talks about grocery costs, she talks about girls’s well being care, she talks about, you already know, Donald Trump’s tariff insurance policies, that are massively inflationary, and on the identical time, reminds all people, it’s a must to have a president who obeys the rule of regulation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re hitting a tough break right here. Thanks, former Congresswoman Cheney, we’ll be proper again.
