‘Stop Faking It!’ Ex-RNC Chair Slams Nikki Haley In Fiery Rant Against MAGA’s ‘RINO’ Smear

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele slammed MAGA critics of former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, ex-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), after they endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 election.

The Cheneys’ unexpected move has drawn ire from the pro-Trump wing of the GOP, who have labeled them “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only).

Speaking on MSNBC on Monday, Steele, a prominent Never-Trump Republican, dismissed the criticisms as absurd and underscored the significance of the Cheneys’ endorsement.

He told host José Díaz-Balart: “I think it’s profoundly important.”

Going on to defend the Cheneys, he continued: “I know some people look at it and go, ‘Oh, OK, it’s not going to move the needle.’ It actually does. I think it affirms the permission structure that many of us who remain in the Republican Party — and certainly, those who have left — have tried to create for Republicans and center-right independent voters to say it’s OK.”

“It is not a profound stain on your political heritage if you vote for a Democrat,” Steele added, noting that Liz Cheney herself had never voted for a Democrat before. “For a lot of Republicans, that’s a big step.”

Steele, who has been a Republican since the 1970s, took aim at the RINO accusations, finding them especially ironic: “All of these pretenders, you know, who’ve come, calling someone like me a RINO need to step it down a little bit. Because you haven’t done the work.”

He continued: “This is not about, ‘Oh yeah, now, I’m a Democrat for Kamala Harris. No, I’m an American who’s going to elect a president who actually gives a damn about the Constitution and doesn’t want to tear it up, and doesn’t want to be a dictator on Day one or for just a day. Because we know that’s not real.”

“All of these pretenders… calling someone like me a RINO need to step it down a little bit,” he said. “You haven’t done the work.”

Turning his attention to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has shifted to supporting former President Donald Trump, Steele said: “Just stop it. There is no comparison between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on any planet. So stop faking it. You made your bed, now own it.”

Watch above on MSNBC.