Over 200 ex-Republican presidential staffers endorse Harris over Trump

More than 200 former staffers of prominent Republican presidential nominees have come out in support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, arguing that the prospect of a second term for GOP nominee Donald Trump is “simply untenable” and poses a threat to everyday citizens.

In an open letter highlighted in a recent USA Today article, 238 individuals who worked with former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, as well as late Arizona Senator John McCain and current Utah Senator Mitt Romney, are urging fellow “moderate Republicans and conservative independents” to lend their support to Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. They encourage a shift away from Trump and his vice presidential choice, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.

The signatories acknowledge having substantial ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Governor Walz but feel that supporting them outweighs the alternative. “That’s to be expected,” they noted, especially considering the battleground states that were pivotal in President Joe Biden’s narrow victory in 2020. “The alternative, however, is simply untenable.”

The letter features endorsements from notable figures such as Reed Galen, a campaign veteran with ties to both George W. Bush and McCain, who also co-founded the anti-Trump organization The Lincoln Project. Another signature comes from Olivia Troye, who previously served as a staff member under George W. Bush and was a homeland security adviser to Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence. The range of roles among signatories stretches from chief of staff to intern.

In their correspondence, the former staffers warned that four additional years under Trump’s chaotic governance, which they claim would aim to further the harmful ambitions of Project 2025, would negatively impact ordinary Americans and threaten vital democratic institutions. They cautioned that “broad, democratic movements will be irreparably jeopardized” as Trump and Vance may cater to authoritarian figures like Vladimir Putin while neglecting traditional allies.

In response, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung, dismissed the letter as “hilarious” and questioned the credentials of the signatories, stating, “Nobody knows who these people are.” He added that they would prefer to see the country “burn down” than allow Trump to reclaim the presidency.

Some signatories had previously issued a similar letter in 2020, endorsing Biden over Trump.

As the election date approaches, both Trump and Harris have been working to attract support from opposing political affiliations. Recently, a number of Republicans, including Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles, former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, and former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, voiced their support for Harris during the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago.

In a notable twist, recent candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who initially ran in the Democratic primary before switching to an independent campaign—and former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who sought the Democratic nomination in 2020 before leaving the party, have endorsed Trump. Additionally, it was reported that both were added to the Trump-Vance transition team.

As the election cycle unfolds, the climate among candidates continues to shift, highlighting a growing movement of cross-party endorsements that could play a pivotal role in the upcoming presidential election.

Source: USA Today