Former Republican vice president Dick Cheney 'will vote for Kamala Harris' in US election

Former Republican vice president Dick Cheney has announced he will vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in this year's US election.

The 83-year-old warned that fellow Republican and former president Donald Trump “can never be trusted with power again”.

In a statement, Mr Cheney said: “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.

“He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.

“As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Ms Harris said she was proud to receive Cheney’s support and “deeply respects his courage to put country over party.”

Mr Cheney's announcement comes after his daughter Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman, also announced she would vote for Ms Harris.

Mr Trump, in turn, wrote on social media that “Dick Cheney is an irrelevant RINO, along with his daughter.” The acronym stands for “Republican in name only.”

Dick Cheney was vice president to George W. Bush and a longtime congressman from Wyoming who held several leadership roles in the House Republican Caucus.

He has made few, if any, public appearances over the past year or more. He has dealt with heart issues since his 40s and underwent a heart transplant in 2012.

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