Dozens of Republican former national security officials have endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in a stinging statement spelling out why they can’t vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
The statement was signed by 74 former officials who have all served as Republicans in Congress or in GOP presidential administrations — including some former Trump officials. They gave 10 reasons why they won’t be voting for Trump’s reelection, ranging from his cozy relationship with dictators to the damage he’s done to America’s role on the world stage.
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former FBI Director William Webster and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel are among the signatories.
“While we — like all Americans — had hoped that Donald Trump would govern wisely, he has disappointed millions of voters who put their faith in him and has demonstrated that he is dangerously unfit to serve another term,” they said in the statement.
“In contrast, we believe Joe Biden has the character, experience, and temperament to lead this nation,” the signatories added. “We believe he will restore the dignity of the presidency, bring Americans together, reassert America’s role as a global leader, and inspire our nation to live up to its ideals.”
The Republican advocacy organization Defending Democracy Together, which was co-founded by the anti-Trump conservative Bill Kristol, shared the statement on its website Friday and invited other former national security officials to sign.
Defending Democracy Together is also behind the groups Republicans for the Rule of Law and Republican Voters Against Trump, whose videos attacking the president have gone viral on social media.
It’s unclear, however, whether their clips — and those from other conservative anti-Trump groups like The Lincoln Project — have any effect on swing voters.
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