Liz Cheney, the former Republican Representative from Wyoming, revealed on Monday that she is contemplating a third-party presidential run in 2024.
This comes after her significant loss in the 2022 GOP primary for Wyoming's congressional seat, which led her to accept a professorship at the University of Virginia.
Cheney stated that her decision to run would be influenced by the potential to disrupt former President Donald Trump's path to re-election, possibly by joining a bipartisan ticket.
"I think that the situation that were in is so grave, and the politics of the moment require independents and Republicans and Democrats coming together in a way that can help form a new coalition, so that may well be a third-party option," she shared with USA Today.
However, Cheney clarified that she would not pursue a third-party ticket if it would benefit Trump. Given her history of aligning with Democrats, a third-party ticket featuring Cheney could potentially harm Biden more than Trump.
"I certainly hope to play a role in helping to ensure that the country has a new, fully conservative party," she told the paper. "And so whether that means restoring the current Republican Party, which looks like a very difficult if not impossible task, or setting up a new party, I do hope to be involved and engaged in that.
Cheney also expressed her distrust in House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to certify the 2024 presidential election, although she did not provide any evidence to substantiate her claim.
"Its not a position that Ive arrived at lightly," she said. "The president whos willing to ignore the rulings of the courts, the president whos willing to ignore the guardrails of our democracy is an existential threat.
Cheney, who has spent most of her adult life in Washington, DC, was ousted from her position as the GOP House conference chair in the spring of 2021 following a vote of no confidence by the Republican House Conference. She was succeeded by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a staunch supporter of Trump and his America-first policies.
In an attempt to retain her influential position in the Republican House leadership, Cheney reportedly held an "off-the-record" meeting with Fox News board member Paul Ryan to quell rumors of her removal.
Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of the Bulwark, acknowledged the meeting as potentially Cheney's final attempt to hold onto power, as reported by Breitbart News.
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