The query on voters’ minds must be WHY did over 100 Republican former nationwide safety officers simply endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president?
On Wednesday morning, the Reagan, Bush, McCain & Romney Alumni for Harris coalition printed a letter from over 100 Republican former nationwide safety leaders. Whereas a few of them have beforehand supported Harris, for others it’s their first displaying for Harris that follows on the heels of greater than a dozen Republicans who served below President Reagan endorsing Harris.
A lot of the are recognizable names for anybody following U.S. politics, like William Webster, CIA and FBI Director below Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, John Negroponte, Director of Nationwide Intelligence below George W. Bush and Robert Zoellick, Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Commerce Consultant below George W. Bush and White Home Deputy Chief of Workers below George H.W. Bush.
Additionally signing onto the letter are former Republican members of Congress who centered on nationwide safety and overseas affairs like former Congressmen Invoice Paxon of New York.
What’s happening right here? It’s definitely not a home coverage re-alignment. It’s notable that these endorsements come from folks centered on nationwide safety and overseas coverage, days earlier than the UN will meet in New York, with world leaders nervous a couple of potential Trump return.
They write that they count on to disagree on overseas and home coverage however they’re endorsing Harris as a result of they imagine the President should be a gentle chief who will defend American safety and values, “We imagine that the President of the USA should be a principled, severe, and regular chief who can advance and defend American safety and values, strengthen our alliances, and shield our democracy.”
Within the different nook is ex-president Donald Trump, who brings up the specter of WWIII, a civil conflict, and Putin utilizing nuclear weapons ought to Trump lose the 2024 election.
They “firmly oppose the election of Donald Trump,” the write. Noting the chaos that outlined his presidency and undermined our allies, “As President, he promoted each day chaos in authorities, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the army and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his private curiosity above American pursuits, and betrayed our values, democracy, and this nation’s founding paperwork.”
Not like nearly all of Republicans now, they don’t whitewash January sixth, “In our view, by inciting the violent assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and defending those that dedicated it, he has violated his oath of workplace and introduced hazard to our nation. As former Vice President Pence has mentioned ‘anybody who places himself over the Structure ought to by no means be President of the USA.’”
Trump has repeatedly aligned with leaders hostile to the liberty the U.S. represents, together with his declare that he and Kim Jong Un fell in love, his constant reward of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his admiration for Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
They point out Trump’s affinity for dictators and the benefit with which mentioned dictators manipulate Trump to warn that Trump is unfit, “Donald Trump’s susceptibility to flattery and manipulation by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, uncommon affinity for different authoritarian leaders, contempt for the norms of respectable, moral and lawful habits, and chaotic nationwide safety decision-making are harmful qualities – as many honorable Republican colleagues and army officers who served in senior nationwide safety positions in his administration have incessantly testified.”
Whereas many citizens are only in the near past attending to know Harris, the letter writers say, “Vice President Harris has demonstrated a dedication to upholding the beliefs that outline our nation — freedom, democracy, and rule of legislation. Her expertise as Legal professional Basic of California and her management on the Senate Choose Committee on Intelligence and as Vice President have helped put together her to be President.”
Talking of false claims, the Russians are behind a false declare that Harris was concerned in an alleged hit-and-run in San Francisco in 2011, in response to new analysis by Microsoft. And this discovery reveals the reality about Putin’s declare to assist Harris, at the same time as Trump continues to platform giving Putin his greatest needs (weakening NATO, not supporting Ukraine). Russia has pivoted from attacking President Biden to creating up pretend tales about Kamala Harris as a result of they’re afraid of Biden an Harris.
To that time, the Republicans within the letter spell out the particular causes they’re setting apart celebration variations to assist Harris:
We’re ready to assist her as President as a result of she has:
Constantly championed the rule of legislation, democracy, and our constitutional ideas;
Pledged to “guarantee America all the time has the strongest, most deadly combating pressure on this planet” and to honor and respect those that put on the uniform;
Dedicated to signal the bipartisan Border Safety bundle, drafted below the management of Republican Senator James Lankford and different Republicans, which might rent 1,500 new Customs and Border Safety personnel and supply extra assets for legislation enforcement however was opposed by Donald Trump to keep away from giving President Biden any political benefit;
Supported a robust NATO to face as much as Russia and shield European and American safety and been agency in her assist of Ukraine;
Declared her intention to make sure that the USA will meet the financial and army competitors with China;
Declared her intention to “all the time rise up for Israel’s proper to defend itself” and “to take no matter motion is important to defend our forces and our pursuits in opposition to Iran and Iran-backed terrorists”;
Demonstrated that she will interact in orderly nationwide safety decision-making, with out the fixed drama and Cupboard turnover of the Trump Administration; and
Dedicated to nominate a Republican to her Cupboard with a view to encourage a variety of views and restore a measure of bipartisanship and comity to our home politics.
There are ALSO some 230 former Republican staffers from Republican administrations and campaigns who’ve endorsed Harris, in addition to former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. John McCain’s son endorsed Harris.
They completed with a slightly alarming however correct and thus all of the extra alarming warning, “Donald Trump can’t be trusted ‘to assist and defend the Structure of the USA in opposition to all enemies, overseas and home . . . and bear true religion and allegiance to the identical.’ We imagine that Kamala Harris can, and we urge different Individuals to hitch us in supporting her.
It’s not simply Republicans who’re placing apart ideological variations to prioritize American freedom and democracy; Democrats have welcomed Republicans to their massive tent and compromised on their want lists. Because the letter famous, Harris has promised to nominate a Republican to her Cupboard and to signal the bipartisan Border Safety bundle that gave conservatives simply 80% of what they requested for, however was tanked by Donald Trump for his personal private profit.
WHY?
A coalition of grown ups are prioritizing a ahead agenda for the USA with a robust chief who helps our allies, upholds international democracy and protects this nation from all enemies, overseas and home. And that’s why Republicans are popping out of the woodwork to assist the Vice President. They, too, don’t wish to return.
Learn the complete letter right here.
Sarah has been credentialed to cowl President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and completely interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi a number of occasions and completely lined her first residence look after the primary impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award profitable video producer and a member of the Society of Skilled Journalists.
Join with Sarah on Publish, Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.
