Republican politicians endorsing Kamala Harris and speaking out against Trump | Politics

Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris has seen a rising variety of Republicans endorse her within the 2024 election within the days main as much as and following the presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, as the 2 candidates are locked in a good race.

Harris and Trump went head-to-head in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, and each candidates had surrogates within the spin room following the matchup, hosted by ABC News. But amongst these advocating for Harris have been two individuals who labored within the White House for Trump.

Anthony Scaramucci, who had a short stint as Trump's White House communications director, and Olivia Troye, who was Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, who went to Philadelphia to talk out against the previous president, Harris' marketing campaign mentioned.

Scaramucci and Troye aren't the one Republicans who've introduced their help for Harris, and the Democratic presidential nominee's marketing campaign rolled out “Republicans for Harris” to bolster outreach to GOP voters who oppose Trump.

Several Republicans endorsed Harris on the Democratic National Convention in August, whereas a gaggle of greater than 200 who labored for former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, in addition to Sen. Mitt Romney and the late Sen. John McCain signed onto a letter supporting the Democratic nominee.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney

Cheney has been probably the most vocal Republican critics of Trump, and she introduced her intent to vote for Harris throughout an occasion at Duke University on Sept. 4. She represented Wyoming within the House for six years, which included two years in GOP management as convention chair earlier than being ousted from the management place by pro-Trump Republicans and then defeated by Trump-backed challenger in a major. 

“I don't believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates' names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney mentioned. “As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.” 

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

The former vice chairman joined his daughter, Liz Cheney, in asserting his plan to vote for Harris in November. Cheney has a protracted profession in Republican politics, having served 4 presidents. In addition to being vice chairman to President George W. Bush, Cheney was secretary of Defense below President George H.W. Bush and White House chief of employees below President Gerald Ford. He represented Wyoming within the House for 10 years.

“In our nation's 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” he mentioned in a press release on Sept. 6. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again. As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.” 

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger

Like Liz Cheney, Kinzinger has additionally been probably the most ardent critics of Trump. The former Illinois congressman appeared at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22 to urge Republicans to again Harris in November.

“Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party,” he mentioned. “His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness.”

Kinzinger delivered a message to GOP voters to “vote for our bedrock values and vote for Kamala Harris.”

Stephanie Grisham

Grisham was a White House press secretary below Trump and chief of employees to first girl Melania Trump earlier than resigning on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of the previous president's supporters violently breached the U.S. Capitol. She addressed the Democratic National Convention on its second night time and lambasted Trump as having “no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.”

“I love my country more than my party,” Grisham mentioned. “Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people and she has my vote.”

Olivia Troye

Troye, who was an adviser to Pence, additionally addressed the Democratic National Convention to converse out against Trump and voice her help for Harris.

She mentioned the Republican nominee's purpose is “to sow doubt and division,” and characterised a vote for Harris as a vote for democracy.

“You're not betraying our party,” she mentioned of the GOP. “You're standing up for our country.”

Anthony Scaramucci

Scaramucci was White House communications director earlier than he was ousted from the position in July 2017 after serving simply 11 days. He has since criticized Trump and the GOP, calling it a “Trumpist party” in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Kamala Harris is capable and has a great team,” he mentioned in a July social media post. 

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan

Duncan was Georgia's lieutenant governor and break up with Trump over his efforts to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 election. He, too, delivered remarks on the Democratic National Convention to induce his fellow Republicans to help Harris within the presidential election.

“To my fellow Republicans at home that want to pivot back toward policy, empathy and tone: You know the right thing to do. Now let's have the courage to do it in November,” Duncan mentioned, calling Harris a “steady hand.”

Alberto Gonzales

Alberto Gonzales, who served as lawyer basic in George W. Bush's administration, backed Harris in an op-ed in Politico on Sept. 12. 

“As the United States approaches a critical election, I can't sit quietly as Donald Trump — perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation — eyes a return to the White House,” Gonzales wrote. “For that reason, though I'm a Republican, I've decided to support Kamala Harris for president.”

Gonzales added that the “person we elect in November is particularly important” for the reason that “current members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have proven spectacularly incapable or unwilling to check abuses of executive power.” Gonzales resigned in 2007 after being accused of mendacity whereas below oath and amid a scandal over firing 9 U.S. attorneys. 

Citing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, Gonzales mentioned that “power is intoxicating and based on Trump's rhetoric and conduct it appears unlikely that he would respect the power of the presidency in all instances; rather, he would abuse it for personal and political gain, and not on behalf of the American people.”

Staff of President Ronald Reagan 

Seventeen former employees members of the late Republican President Ronald Reagan endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, saying in a joint assertion first obtained by CBS News that Reagan, if alive, would have supported Harris.

“President Ronald Reagan famously spoke about a ‘Time for Choosing.' While he is not here to experience the current moment, we who worked for him in the White House, in the administration, in campaigns and on his personal staff, know he would join us in supporting the Harris-Walz ticket,” the group wrote. “The time for choosing we face today is a choice between integrity and demagoguery, and the choice must be Harris-Walz.”

The group defined that their votes on this election “are less about supporting the Democratic Party and more about our resounding support for democracy,” whereas encouraging different Republicans to do the identical. Among the group are Ken Adelman, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. arms management director below Reagan, in addition to B. Jay Cooper, the particular assistant and deputy press secretary to Reagan, and Pete Souza, the chief White House photographer for each Reagan and Obama.

William Webster

Webster was CIA and FBI director below Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He signed onto a letter with greater than 100 GOP former nationwide safety and overseas coverage officers who labored in presidential administrations and Congress that introduced their help for Harris.

“We expect to disagree with Kamala Harris on many domestic and foreign policy issues, but we believe that she possesses the essential qualities to serve as President and Donald Trump does not. We therefore support her election to be president,” the letter states.

John Negroponte

Negroponte was the director of National Intelligence for President George W. Bush. He additionally signed his identify to the letter endorsing Harris from the Republican nationwide safety and overseas coverage officers.

The letter notes that whereas the officers respect that many Republicans will again Trump over Harris, their issues concerning the vice chairman “pale in comparison to Donald Trump's demonstrated chaotic and unethical behavior and disregard for our Republic's time-tested principles of constitutional governance.”

“His unpredictable nature is not the negotiating virtue he extols,” the Republicans mentioned. “To the contrary, in matters of national security, his demeanor invites equally erratic behavior from our adversaries, which irresponsibly threatens reckless and dangerous global consequences.”

Former Sen. Jeff Flake

Jeff Flake, a Republican who represented Arizona within the House and Senate, endorsed Harris on Sept. 29, citing the rule of regulation, and an optimistic outlook for the nation, amongst different causes.

“I want to support a presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country rather than one who divides us,” Flake mentioned in a post on X pledging to help Harris for president. 

The Arizona Republican cited his time within the Senate with Harris, and within the House together with her working mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

“I know them,” Flake mentioned. “I know first hand of their fine character and love of country.”

Flake lately stepped down because the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, a job for which President Biden nominated him in 2021. Flake additionally crossed celebration traces to endorse Mr. Biden in 2020. 

Aaron Navarro

contributed to this report.