Kamala Harris campaigned with Liz Cheney in the town that gave birth to the GOP : NPR

The town known as the birthplace of the Republican Party is an unlikely campaign stop for a Democratic presidential candidate.

But on Thursday, Vice President Harris rallied in Ripon, Wis. — home to the Little White Schoolhouse, where an 1854 meeting led to the formation of the Republican Party.

It was the backdrop for a speech from former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who endorsed Harris last month. Cheney laid out her own history with the Republican party, from volunteering as a young person to serving in Congress, where she was the No. 3 Republican in the House.

“I have never voted for a Democrat, but this year, I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Cheney said.

“I know that she loves our country, and I know that she will be a president for all Americans,” Cheney added. “As a conservative, as a patriot, as a mother, as someone who reveres our Constitution, I am honored to join her in this urgent cause.”

Cheney said Trump is unfit for office because of Jan. 6

Cheney spoke at length about why she thinks Harris’ opponent, former President Donald Trump, is unfit for the presidency, though she backed him in both 2016 and 2020.

She said he broke his oath of office by attempting to stay in office after losing the election, taking actions that led to the violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“What January 6th shows us is that there is not an ounce of compassion in Donald Trump. He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel, and Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation,” she said.

Cheney herself was a member of the Congressional committee that investigated Trump for his actions on and leading up to January 6 — and she voted to impeach Trump. She later lost her bid for reelection in 2022 to a Trump-backed candidate.

Asked about the Ripon event during an appearance on Fox News, Trump attacked Cheney as a “stupid war hawk” and predicted she would hurt Harris’ campaign.

“I really think it hurts. I think frankly if Kamala, I think they hurt each other. I think they are so bad, both of them,” Trump said.

Harris praised Cheney for her courage

When Harris took the podium, she thanked Cheney for her courage and said it was a “profound honor” to have her support.

“We may not see eye-to-eye on every issue, and we are going to get back to a healthy two-party system, I am sure of that, where we will have vigorous debates,” Harris said to Cheney.

Harris talked about her commitment to the Constitution and to upholding democracy — an issue that is a deciding factor for a majority of voters this year, polling from NPR News/PBS/Marist shows.

“I believe that anyone who recklessly tramples on our democratic values as Donald Trump has, anyone who is actively and violently obstructed the will of the people and the peaceful transfer of power as Donald Trump has, anyone who has called for, I quote, ‘termination of the Constitution of the United States’ as Donald Trump has, must never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,” Harris said.

In recent weeks, Harris’ campaign has worked to highlight support from more than 200 prominent Republicans as she works in swing states like Wisconsin to win over more independents and Republicans disaffected with Trump.

In addition to Cheney, her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has also said he will vote for Harris.

Dick Cheney said in a statement last month that Trump “can never be trusted with power again” because he “tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him.”