Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 12, 2024.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
More than 100 former Republican lawmakers and government officials wrote a letter supporting Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris but warning that their party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump, is “unfit to hold office again.”
In a letterIn a statement released Wednesday by Harris’ campaign, 111 former national security and foreign policy officials said that while they disagree with the vice president’s policies, “we believe she has the requisite qualities to serve as president that Donald Trump does not.”
They accused Trump of creating “routine chaos in government” during his first term, claiming he put personal interests above the country and “violated his oath of office” by inciting the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The group, which includes former Trump administration officials and those who served under former presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, also warned that Trump is “vulnerable to kowtowing” by foreign leaders.
“He is unfit to serve as President, much less hold public office,” they said in the letter, first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday.
Signatories include former CIA and FBI director William Webster, former Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, and former U.S. Trade Representatives Carla Hills and Robert Zoellick.
They acknowledged that many Republicans have concerns about Harris and support for Trump, but they argued that “any potential concerns pale in comparison to the chaotic and unethical behavior exhibited by Donald Trump and his disregard for the time-tested principles of constitutional governance in our republic.”
“His unpredictable nature is not the negotiating virtue he celebrates. On the contrary, in matters of national security, his attitude invites similarly erratic behavior from his adversaries, risking irresponsible recklessness with dangerous global consequences.”
Eight former House members also endorsed Democratic candidates Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in a letter.
Wednesday’s letter marked the latest addition to Republican support for Harris, who has been trying to win over moderates and conservatives who may be disillusioned with Trump.
Her campaign launched “Republicans for Harris” in August, touting endorsements from more than 20 former Trump administration officials and other Republicans.
In early September, Harris garnered the endorsement of about 90 corporate leaders, including former executives. 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, snap With Chairman Michael Lynton Yelp Co-founder Jeremy Stoppelman.
Dick Cheney, former vice president to President George W. Bush, also announced that month that he would vote for Harris. His daughter, former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, is one of Trump’s most vocal conservative critics.
Meanwhile, former Vice President of President Trump Mike Pencereaffirmed on Tuesday that he will not endorse any candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
Pence specifically referenced the events of January 6, 2021, when President Trump pressured the then-Vice President to reject the legitimate Electoral College results that showed President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. After Pence rebuffed Trump, a mob of the then-president’s supporters stormed the Capitol and disrupted the certification of the election.
Wednesday’s letter included comments from Pence saying “anyone who places himself above the Constitution should never be president of the United States.”
