Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Dem Rep Put In Hot Seat For Praising Dick Cheney’s Kamala Harris Endorsement

Ted Lieu and Michael Tracey

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California said in a video posted to social media Thursday that former Vice President Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris made him “competent” on the issue of defending democracy.

Cheney announced his endorsement of Harris on Sept. 6, two days after his daughter, former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, endorsed the vice president over former President Donald Trump. Lieu told journalist Michael Tracey that even though he disagreed with Cheney on many issues, he felt the former vice president was “putting country over party.”

“Dick Cheney is certainly competent to judge the one issue that matters, which is the preservation of our democracy,” Lieu told Tracey, who then asked, “Why is he fit to judge that?”

WATCH:

“Because he is supporting Kamala Harris, because she actually supports democracy,” Lieu responded. “Unlike Donald Trump, who we saw tonight still can’t handle the fact that he lost the election. He’s willing to upend our democracy, put lies into people’s heads that somehow this election was stolen.”

Lieu, who has a history of calling Republican policy proposals like Trump’s proposed border wall “stupid,” defended Dick Cheney when asked about Democrats’ past claims that the former vice president helped steal the 2000 election, which was decided after a lengthy recount battle in Florida.

“Dick Cheney is putting country over party on the one issue of democracy. So, Donald Trump incited an insurrection to try to stop the certification of the Electoral College,” Lieu responded. “I was there on Jan. 6. I was one of the co-authors of the article of impeachment against Donald Trump, because he is a traitor who does not believe in democracy, and he still can’t handle the fact that he lost the election. And you cannot be president of the United States if you don’t respect the one issue that matters to Americans, which is our elections and respecting a peaceful transfer of power.”

“That is why Dick Cheney endorsed Kamala Harris,” Lieu continued. “I’m sure he doesn’t agree with her on the overall majority of issues, but that one issue is so paramount because it’s a fundamental nature of our country, it is our democracy.”

Dick Cheney in the past has been widely reviled by liberals as a war criminal due to his actions as vice president under former President George W. Bush regarding the War on Terror. Harris, who was once considered by some as the most liberal senator in 2019, touted Dick Cheney’s endorsement during Tuesday’s debate with Trump.