Kamala Harris Targets Nikki Haley Voters with Liz Cheney

Vice President Kamala Harris is collaborating once again with former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, a staunch critic of Donald Trump, in a series of moderated discussions aimed at attracting voters who are disillusioned by Trump's continuing influence over the Republican Party.

With the 2024 presidential election on the horizon, Harris is focusing her efforts on winning over key Republican voters in three crucial suburban battleground counties. These counties, which Nikki Haley previously carried during the GOP primaries, include Chester County, Pennsylvania; Oakland County, Michigan; and Waukesha County, Wisconsin.

Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin are essential to Harris' pathway to the presidency. Since 1948, no Democrat has won the presidency without carrying Pennsylvania, and securing these three Rust Belt states—along with Nebraska's Democrat-leaning second district—would provide Harris with exactly 270 Electoral College votes, the number required to win the election.

When Are the Events?

The first moderated conversation will be held in Chester County in the early afternoon, followed by the second in Waukesha County later in the afternoon, and the final discussion in Oakland County that evening.

These conversations will be moderated by conservative radio host Charlie Sykes, who also serves as editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, alongside GOP strategist Sarah Longwell.

Why Do These Conversations Matter?

Nikki Haley, who was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, endorsed the Republican nominee after withdrawing from the race. However, many of her supporters remain undecided. According to Politico, while Haley eventually backed Trump, some of her followers are reluctant to do so, making them critical swing voters for Harris. Similar to Liz Cheney, many of these voters may not have supported Democrats in the past but are now open to the possibility, especially in the context of the current election.

These events follow a recent campaign in Pennsylvania where over 100 former GOP officials and officeholders joined forces with Harris to gain support in the state.

"Harris' partnership with Cheney is intended to reassure voters—particularly suburban ones—that she is not the extreme leftist that Trump and his allies depict her as," said Iwan Morgan, Emeritus Professor of US history at University College London. Morgan noted that while Cheney and Harris disagree on policy, their shared commitment to upholding constitutional governance and the rule of law outweighs those differences.

This cooperation, Morgan added, reinforces Harris' promise to govern for "all Americans" and presents bipartisan validation that a second Trump term would endanger American democracy.

Key Issues to Watch

In these discussions, Harris is expected to emphasize her differences from Trump as a candidate. According to an email shared by the Harris campaign with Newsweek, Harris and Cheney will warn voters of the risks posed by another Trump presidency while outlining Harris' vision for a "New Way Forward" that addresses the needs of the American people, steering clear of Trump's divisiveness and chaos.

Harris will likely address major election issues such as the economy, immigration, and reproductive rights, positioning herself as the candidate capable of uniting the country while protecting democratic values.