Trump 'Emergency'... 238 US Republican Aides Declare Support for Harris

Open Letter from Former Presidential Advisors Including George Bush
"Trump's Chaotic Leadership, a Threat to Democracy"

Leading figures within the U.S. Republican Party, classified as 'traditional conservatives,' have reportedly turned their backs on former President Donald Trump.

According to an open letter exclusively obtained and reported by USA Today on the 26th (local time), they jointly declared, "Along with newly joined aides of President George H.W. Bush, we will vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz this November," adding, "Of course, we have many ideological differences with Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, but we cannot consider any other choice."

The open letter included the names of 238 aides who worked for former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, and Senator Mitt Romney’s campaign, among others.

In the letter, they criticized, "If Donald Trump's chaotic leadership continues for another four years, the dangerous goals of 'Project 2025' will gain momentum, and the ones harmed will be ordinary citizens and our sacred institutions," adding, "Trump and his follower Vance will threaten democracy by bowing to dictators like Putin and turning their backs on allies."

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

The 'Project 2025' mentioned in the letter is a 992-page document led by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in the U.S., involving officials from Trump’s first administration and over 100 conservative organizations. It contains hardline conservative policies in areas such as economy, trade, immigration, abortion, foreign affairs, and security, and is referred to as the Trump 2.0 manifesto. This represents an argument that voting for progressive-leaning Vice President Harris is the path for the country, rather than supporting former President Trump, who excites the public with extreme claims far removed from traditional conservative ideology.

Through the letter, they urged, "Vote for leaders who strive for consensus, not chaos," encouraging other Republican figures to support Vice President Harris, while emphasizing that the election of President Joe Biden in 2020 was also thanks to the decision of moderate Republicans who put the country before the party. USA Today added that about 150 Republican figures publicly supported President Biden during the 2020 election.

As Vice President Harris, who inherited President Biden’s 'torch,' surges forward with formidable momentum, former President Trump faces a headache in rallying his core supporters. Until now, Trump has maintained an 'uneasy coexistence' with senior Republican figures such as former presidents and presidential candidates. Senator Romney was the only Republican senator to vote for Trump’s impeachment in 2020 and has stated he will not support Trump in this year’s election. Senator McCain served as a focal point for anti-Trump forces within the party until his death in 2018. Former President Bush has refrained from public criticism but did not attend the Republican National Convention.