More than 200 Bush, McCain, Romney alums endorse Harris for president, criticize Trump
By Joey Garrison, USA TODAY,
2024-08-26
WASHINGTON — More than 200 Republicans who previously worked for either former President George W. Bush , the late Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., or Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah , endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in an open letter Monday obtained exclusively by USA TODAY.
The letter from alums of the three Republican presidential nominees prior to former President Donald Trump comes on the heels of a Democratic National Convention last week in Chicago that showcased Republican detractors of the GOP nominee. At least five former aides to former President George H.W. Bush also signed the letter, which has 238 signatures in all.
A similar group of about 150 anti-Trump former staffers of Bush, McCain and Romney pledged support for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
"We reunite today, joined by new George H.W. Bush alumni, to reinforce our 2020 statements and, for the first time, jointly declare that we’re voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz this November," the letter reads. "Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable."
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris delivers her acceptance speech during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. Jasper Colt/USA TODAY
Among those who signed the letter in support of Harris and her running-mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, include: former McCain chiefs of staff Mark Salter and Chris Koch; Joe Donoghue, former legislative director for McCain; Jennifer Lux, press secretary for McCain's 2008 campaign, and Jean Becker, longtime chief of staff for George H.W. Bush.
Also backing Harris are David Nierenberg, Romney's 2012 campaign finance chair; David Garman, under secretary of Energy for George W. Bush; and Olivia Troye , a former advisor to both George W. Bush and Vice President Mike Pence. Troye spoke from the stage of the DNC convention last week.
Keeping up with Washington? Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter.
President George W. Bush speaks during an interview on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at his office in Dallas about his recollections of Sept. 11, 2001. Mei-Chun Jau, For USA TODAY
"At home, another four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic leadership, this time focused on advancing the dangerous goals of Project 2025, will hurt real, everyday people and weaken our sacred institutions," the letter says, referring to the Heritage Foundation's policy blueprint that the Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from .
"Abroad, democratic movements will be irreparably jeopardized as Trump and his acolyte JD Vance kowtow to dictators like Vladimir Putin while turning their backs on our allies. We can’t let that happen."
The animosity between the camps of McCain, Romney, and Bush and Trump is well-documented.
Others who signed the letters include: Reed Galen, McCain's deputy campaign manager and co-founder of the Lincoln Project; Jim Swift, a former Republican operative who is now senior editor of The Bulwark, an anti-Trump news and opinion site; and former McCain campaign strategist Mike Murphy.
Citing 2020 exit polling and other voter data, the group claims it was "moderate Republicans and conservative independents in key swing states" who were pivotal in Biden's victory that ultimately delivered the presidency Biden − Americans who "put country far before party," they write in the letter.
The group called on more moderate Republicans and independents to "take a brave stand once more" and support Harris over Trump in the fall.
September 13, 2023: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) announces his intention to not run for reelection. Romney, who is 76, announced in a release, "the next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership.". Josh Morgan, USA TODAY
The Harris campaign has worked to highlight its backing from Republicans who oppose Trump, launching a "Republicans for Harris" group this month and featuring Republican speakers at last week's convention.
Republicans who addressed the convention included former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. , who served on the House panel that investigated Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election; former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham; former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan , Mesa, Ariz. Mayor John Giles ; and Troye, who worked as a homeland security and counterterrorism adviser to Pence. Pence has said he won't endorse Trump for president.
Over the weekend, a dozen prominent Republican attorneys who worked for former President Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush endorsed Harris for president. The group included conservative former federal appellate Judge Michael Luttig , who plans to vote for a Democratic president for the first time.
Former Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
