EXCLUSIVE: More than two thousand former Republican members of Congress threw their support behind a “Republicans for Prayers” effort launched Monday by the Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign to attract potential GOP supporters this November.
The announcement comes on the first day of the Republican National Convention, as delegates prepare for Monday’s formal re-nomination of President Trump.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN Reveals Convention Speakers, Potential to Speak Every Night
In their respective congressional agendas, each party has tried to show converted supporters. Joe Biden’s list of Republican supporters, first shared with Fox News, includes some well-known Trump critics, most notably former Arizona GOP Senator Jeff Flake.
Last fall, he penned an up-and-coming lawmaker to leave the president and save her ‘souls’ because he received support for dismissal. He has since said he will not vote for Trump, but he has held a formal approval of Biden to this day.
In the announcement that he would not be ready for re-election, sen struck. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Republicans and President Trump to.
(Reuters / Joshua Roberts)
Some others on the list had already supported the former vice president, including former Republican Sens. Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire (who is now an independent) and John Warner of Virginia. Together they have a number of former members of the Republican House:
Earlier reps. Steve Bartlett of Texas, Bill Clinger of Pennsylvania, Tom Coleman of Missouri, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Charles Djou of Hawaii, Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma, Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, Jim Kolbe of Arizona, Steve Kuykendall of California, Ray LaHood of Illinois (who served as Secretary of Transportation in the Obama administration), Jim Leach of Iowa, Connie Morella of Maryland, Mike Parker of Mississippi, Jack Quinn of New York, Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island, Chris Shays of Connecticut, Peter Smith of Vermont, Alan Steelman of Texas, Bill Whitehurst of Virginia, Dick Zimmer of New Jersey, and Jim Walsh of New York.
A Biden campaign official told Fox News that the encouragement is a “strong dismissal” of Trump and his administration.
“These former members of Congress cited Trump’s corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant contempt for moral decency and the urgency to get the country on track as a reason why they support Biden,” the Biden official said. Fox News campaign.
“These former members of Congress support Joe Biden because they know what is going on in these elections and that Trump’s failures as president have replaced partisanship,” the official continued.
Meanwhile, the Fox News official said that Flake, who had several clashes with his president in the Senate and even threatened to challenge him, is expected to comment Monday afternoon on why he supports Biden.
REPUBLICANS OF BIDDING: GOP figures playing role at DEM convention
The “Republicans for Bidding” program is part of the nationwide campaign to defeat Republicans who plan to vote for the Democratic nominee in November.
The Biden campaign calls on Republicans who plan to support Biden in the general election to encourage other Republicans to organize in their communities by using their “Vote Joe” app and other tools. An official from the Biden campaign said the app creates existing relationships among followers and they can identify and keep new supporters and potential persuasive supporters engaged.
The campaign also sends mass text messages from the app to encourage volunteers and provide updates on events.
The Democratic National Convention, which closed last week, also featured a number of Republicans – including former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former GOP Rep. Susan Molinari of New York, former Republican Gov. of New Jersey, Christine Todd Whitman and others.
Trump allies served that the parade of Republicans included several who were either well-known Trump detractors, or who had supported Democrats in other recent elections.
“John was a Republican a loser. Never even came close,” Trump also noted last week, whipping up his previous rival primary performance in 2016.
While Democrats this week will do what they can to steal GOP thunder during their convention (just as the Trump campaign did during the Democrats’), the president is focused on regaining the spotlight soon.
He is expected to not only provide an address on Thursday to accept his re-nomination – he will appear every night.
A Trump campaign official told Fox News that Trump “will be active every day” of the convention; his performances are likely to take place within the hour of 10 p.m.
The Trump campaign announced the full roster of speakers for the convention on Sunday. The list shows that other members of the Trump family will appear every night, including First Lady Melania Trump; the President’s children: Ivanka, Tiffany, Donald Jr., and Eric and his wife Lara Trump. And they will be sure to have converted fans too, including rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who announced last year that he was switching parties to become a Republican.
Other speakers will include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and UFC President Dana White include.
