National Security Leaders Back Kamala Harris for President; Fear Trump
More than 700 national security and military leaders, current and former, have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Harris’s leadership skills are highlighted in the letter, written on behalf of the bipartisan group National Security Leaders for America, as it decries Trump as a unique national security and democratic threat.
National security officials endorse Harris
The letter of endorsement and signatories, former secretaries of state and defense, retired generals and ambassadors, points out that Harris has the temperament, knowledge and values to be commander-in-chief. The letter says the president’s previous actions hurt the country and its global relations, and that “all this continues until Nov. 3.”
Those opposed to the deal include former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, William Cohen and William J. Perry among others. Former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, as well as ex-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, came to bat for Harris too.
Fear About Trump’s Ability to Lead
The letter directly compares Harris to Trump, describing the 2024 election as “a choice between serious leadership and vengeful impulsiveness” and “democracy and authoritarianism.” The group has severe misgivings about Trump’ s term in the presidency, and particularly his attempts to subvert the 2020 election and disregard of constitutional norms.
Officials called attention to several concerns including:
Letter 001 — Tearing Down Democracy: The letter blasts Trump for his incitement of the Capitol riots on January 6 and his promise to pardon those who participated in them.
Foreign Relations: Trump was slammed for his treatment of American allies, from publicly and privately criticizing UK leaders to berating the prime minister of Israel Isreal in public, Australia Australia. and Canada Canada Germany.
Chief among those was the abandonment of allies, as the letter specifically references former President Donald Trump’s decision to pull U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in Syria at a key moment in 2019.
Republicans Endorse Harris
That endorsement follows a also bipartisan endorsement but 111 Republican national security and foreign policy officials who are backing Harris. The Republicans make the case that Trump should never serve as president again and say Harris is a responsible alternative.delivery_kwargs. Harris, whose campaign has actively courted moderate and even conservative voters by winning over endorsements from such high profile Republicans as formerVice President Dick Cheney.
Hunter Biden Letter Signatory Questions
A handful of the officials who signed on to the Harris endorsement in this latest letter shared an association with a controversial letter from four years ago that dismissed reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation. Their support for picking Harris to win in 2024 stems from those same national security issues, and fears about a second Trump term.
Trump Campaign Responds
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, said in response to the letter that those who signed it had let the country down by creating too many wars — essentially citing the signatories as architects of perpetual war and state-financed jubilee while an oppressed populace shouldered its consequences. Cheung stressed that Trump had become the first president in modern history not to drag America into a new war while in office.
The Bigger Picture
It is an important moment for Harris, as the 2024 presidential race heats up. National security officials said that Harris’ leadership is what the country needs to protect its democratic values and sustainable global relationships in contrast, they said Trump wants to lead a politics of chaos. An increasingly serious White House contender, Kamala Harris has landed a book deal.