More than 100 former Republican national security and foreign policy officials endorsed Kamala Harris for president in a joint letter released on Wednesday, denouncing Donald Trump as “unfit to serve” another term. The signatories include former officials from the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump, as well as Democrats from Bill Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s presidencies.
The letter asserts that the next president must be a “principled, serious, and steady leader.” It acknowledges that while Harris and the signatories may disagree on various issues, she possesses essential qualities lacking in Trump. The former officials criticized Trump for fostering chaos, undermining alliances, and prioritizing personal interests over national values and democracy. They highlighted his involvement in the January 6 Capitol insurrection and his susceptibility to manipulation by authoritarian leaders as reasons for their disapproval.
Notable signatories include former Defense Secretaries William Cohen and Chuck Hagel, former CIA and FBI Director William Webster, and former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden. They expressed support for Harris’s stance on NATO, Israel, and her commitment to bipartisan border security.
The letter also mentioned several former Trump administration officials who have joined the endorsement, including Mark Harvey, Elizabeth Neumann, Alberto Gonzales, Adam Kinzinger, Stephanie Grisham, and Anthony Scaramucci. The recent endorsements by Republicans like former Virginia Representative Barbara Comstock reflect growing cross-party support for Harris, driven by concerns over Trump’s impact on democracy and governance.
