- More than 70 former Republican national security officials have publicly endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, saying President Donald Trump is not fit to lead.
- The Alliance of Defensive Democracy together published an open letter on Thursday, containing a list of 10 points of grievances.
- Among the signatories are former CIA director Michael Hayden, former FBI and CIA chief William Webster, former director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel.
- “We are convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him,” the group wrote.
- As the November presidential election draws to a close, Trump is increasingly losing the support of Republican officials. A growing number of party weights have said they will vote Biden.
- Visit the Business Insider website for more stories.
More than 70 former Republican National Security leaders have written an open letter in support of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, saying President Donald Trump is not fit to lead.
“We are deeply concerned about the course of our nation under the leadership of Donald Trump,” the letter, published Thursday by the conservative advocacy organization Defending Democracy Together, said.
“Trump has shown that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behavior that makes him incapable of serving as president.”
Among the signatories – who served during the Reagan, George W. Bush, George HW Bush, and Trump administrations – are former CIA director Michael Hayden, former FBI and CIA director William Webster, former director of National Intelligence John Negroponte , and former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
“We are convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him,” the authors said.
“We believe that Joe Biden has the character, experience and temperament to lead this nation. We believe he will restore the dignity of the presidency, bring Americans together, prove America’s role as a global leader, and us. inspire nations to live their ideals. “
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, at the Democratic National Convention in August 2020.
Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
In the run-up to the November election, a number of senior Republican figures have distanced themselves from Trump.
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who ran as a Republican in the 2016 presidential election, told the Democratic National Convention that he supported Biden.
“In normal times, something like this would probably never happen,” the lifelong Republican said of his performance at the DNC.
Miles Taylor, a former Trump administration official, also said it was time “to put country over party.”
Colin Powell, former secretary of state during the presidency of George W. Bush, said in June that he voted for Biden this year because Trump “lies about things.”
A number of Republican executives have also held regular talks late at night to complain about Trump, as Business Insider Tom Porter previously reported.
One of Trump’s top allies, sen. Lindsey Graham, has also quarreled with Trump over the past few months over public health issues and praised Biden. In a campaign ad for the Republican Voters Against Trump group last month, Graham called the president “a furious, xenophobic, religious bigot.”
Trump at the Republican National Committee’s Winter Meeting at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2018.
Olivier Douliery Pool / Getty Images
Opposition to Trump in the Republican Party has been vocal and organized.
A number of anti-Trump groups have sprung up within conservative circles. They include Republican voters against Trump, the Lincoln project, and 43 Alumni for Biden.
Michael Gordon, a longtime Democratic strategist, wrote in a June op-ed for Business Insider that Republican Party officials were reluctant to speak out so far.
“This year, of course, has brought us new depths in the Trump presidency, and the volume of ratification has begun to increase,” he wrote.
