More than 100 former Republican officials, mostly who served in national security roles or in Republican presidential administrations, penned a letter supporting Vice President Harris and warning about the dangers of a second Trump administration.
“We understand that many Republicans prefer Donald Trump to Kamala Harris for a variety of reasons, and we acknowledge and do not intend to discount their potential concerns,” the letter, released Wednesday, said. “However, any potential concerns pale in comparison to the chaotic and unethical behavior that Donald Trump has demonstrated and his disregard for the time-tested principles of constitutional governance of our republic.”
When it comes to diplomacy, the signatories argued in the letter that the former president's “unpredictable nature is not the negotiating virtue he praises,” adding that Trump's behavior “invites similarly erratic actions by our adversaries, irresponsibly reckless and threatening dangerous global consequences.”
Wednesday's letter came about three weeks after more than 200 former Republican officials, including those who worked for former President George W. Bush and the late Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), said they would support Harris for the presidency. It also came shortly after former Vice President Dick Cheney and her daughter, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, said they would vote for Harris.
Kamala Harris: Endorsed by 200 Republicans
John McCain, left, and Mitt Romney, right, speaking at a campaign rally in 2008. (Joe Raedl/Getty Images)
Wednesday's letter was signed primarily by officials who served in the Bush administration or under former President Ronald Reagan, but former Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia, also signed Wednesday's letter.
The 111 signatures in total included at least two duplicates of an August letter supporting Harris. Another name appeared to be a third duplicate of the August letter, but Fox News Digital was unable to confirm whether it was the same person before publication. Meanwhile, Wednesday's letter also included two signatories who also signed the infamous October 2020 letter by dozens of intelligence officials that claimed the New York Post story about Hunter Biden's laptop was “Russian-sponsored disinformation.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang blasted the signatories of Wednesday's letter, claiming they are “the same people who have embroiled our country in endless foreign wars and profited from them while the American people suffer.”
“President Trump is the only modern president who will not embroil our country in a new war,” Chang said.
Harris campaign organizes to target Republican supporters, appeals to Republican opponents
George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush (David Hume Kennerley/Getty Images)
Wednesday's letter listed several reasons why the signers support Harris for president, including that she has “consistently defended the rule of law, democracy, and constitutional principles.” The letter also said Harris is “committed” to ensuring that the U.S. military remains the most powerful fighting force in the world, and highlighted her support for NATO, Israel, and the bipartisan border security bill that was defeated this year. The letter noted that Harris has pledged to appoint Republicans to her Cabinet “to encourage diverse voices and restore bipartisanship and civility to our national politics.”
On national security, the letter praised Harris for her ability to “engage in orderly national security decision-making,” adding that a Harris presidency would eliminate “the constant drama and cabinet turnover seen in the Trump Administration.”
But Harris has been heavily criticized for creating a poor internal culture during her time as vice president, leading to employee turnover of nearly 92%.
Harris-Waltz presents a chaotic foreign policy that touts success amid a chaotic reality
The letter also accused Trump of cozying up to America's adversaries, saying, “Donald Trump's susceptibility to flattery and manipulation from Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, his unusual affinity for other authoritarian leaders, his contempt for standards of civility, ethical and lawful behavior, and his disorganized decision-making on national security are dangerous traits.”
Then-President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 28, 2019. (Vietnam News Agency/Distribution/Getty Images)
Trump surrogate Tulsi Gabbard on Monday praised Trump for “working hard” to negotiate with America's adversaries, arguing it is a crucial part of successful U.S. diplomacy.
“President Trump has done what President Obama refused to do, what President Biden refused to do, what Senator Kamala Harris has made it clear that she will refuse to do, which is to go out and do the hard work that a president and a commander in chief have to do in diplomacy,” Gabbard said. “Not just with our friends and allies and partners, but actually go out and talk to our adversaries.”
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Wednesday's letter concluded that Trump does not have the authority to “support and defend the Constitution” against enemies, both foreign and domestic. “We believe Kamala Harris can do so, and we urge other Americans to support her,” it said. It also said Trump should not hold any political office in the future.
Now, the Harris campaign is working to target vulnerable Republican voters through paid media and grassroots digital efforts. Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams recently told Fox News Digital that Harris “is a strong candidate for the Democratic Party.” Republican momentum Right now.”
“We are proud of the bipartisan support for Vice President Harris,” Sams said, “and we will continue to work every day to earn the support of Republican voters who want a president like her who believes in patriotism, freedom and the Constitution.”
