200 Former Republican Staffers Endorse Kamala Harris

Over 200 alumni from previous Republican campaigns have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in an open letter, adding to the growing support of Republicans for Harris. The letter was signed by staff members with roles ranging from chief to intern who worked for Republican leaders such as President George H.W. Bush, former President George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

In 2020, alumni who previously worked for George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney signed a similar letter. In the letter, they warned that “another four years of a Trump Presidency would irreparably damage our beloved democracy.” 

In the most recent letter published on Monday, the signatories reiterated their stance held in 2020, declaring that they are “voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz in November.” The letter addresses concerns regarding the domestic ramifications of another Trump presidency, alleging that Project 2025 will “hurt everyday people.” The letter also spoke to U.S. relations abroad, stating that democratic movements will be “irreparably jeopardized” if Trump takes office again.

The letter notes that despite ideological differences with Harris and her campaign, they believe the alternative of a second Trump presidency is “simply untenable.” They call upon “moderate Republicans and conservative independents,” especially in swing states, to vote for Harris, noting that swing state votes ultimately led to Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. 

Notable signatories of the letter include Reed Galen, founder of the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project and alum of George W. Bush and John McCain’s campaigns, and Olivia Troye, a former homeland security advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence. 

In a statement, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said that the letter is “hilarious because nobody knows who these people are,” further stating that “they would rather see the country burn down than to see President Trump successfully return to the White House to Make America Great Again.”