Cheney lost in Congress last year to a former President Trump-backed candidate. The Republican politician is one of Trump’s strongest critics and has repeatedly said he thinks the former president is unfit for America’s highest office. Cheney also served as co-chairman of the House of Representatives’ investigative committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The group consisted mainly of Democrats.

Moderator David Rubenstein asked whether the polls would hurt Trump’s chances in next year’s election as an independent candidate. “Look, I think the country is facing very challenging and fundamentally important issues right now,” Cheney responded. “What we’ve done in our politics is create an environment where we want idiots.” The comment drew laughter from the audience.

According to Cheney, the election of radical candidates is beyond party politics. “Because of the situation we’re in, a major-party candidate who’s trying to subvert our democracy — and I don’t say that lightly — we have to think: Well, what kind of coalitions do we need to defeat? Those are the coalitions we need to build across party lines.

Cheney left open whether he would run for president. He has said in the past that he would not do it if it turned out to be in Trump’s favor. He is currently leading the polls for the Republican primary. Cheney’s candidacy will split the votes of his opponents and contribute to his nomination. “I’m not going to do anything to help Donald Trump,” he told NBC News on Tuesday in Aspen, Colorado. He says he is now focused on “stopping Donald Trump at all costs” and “helping other candidates.” A final decision won’t be made until later this year, Cheney said.

If Trump is re-elected, he will focus on “revenge,” Cheney warned. His staff will include what he describes as “bad actors,” such as Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn. “Trump will not have responsible people in the judiciary or elsewhere in the government,” he said. Above all, according to her, she is interested in fighting back and attacking her opponents.