Among the more than 100 Republican signers of a new open letter denouncing former President Donald Trump as “unfit to serve” are two former CIA directors, Michael Hayden and William Webster. The signers pledged support for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in November’s election.
“As president, [Trump] promoted daily chaos in government,” the letter reads, “praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests and betrayed our values.”
The signers include numerous high-ranking decorated military officers, former congressmembers, and high-ranking officials who served in various capacities in the American intelligence community and the State Department for decades.
The signers credit Harris with having “demonstrated a commitment to upholding the ideals that define our nation freedom, democracy, and rule of law.”
111 former Republican officials—ex-members of congress, secretaries of defense, directors of the CIA, and national security leaders—endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in an open letter
Denounce Trump as ‘Unfit to Serve’#unfit https://t.co/fpdXpsPzEA
— Dr. Oddman aka Dark Brandon (@Iamoddman) September 18, 2024
Together their experience stretches through the presidential administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama and — notably — Trump himself, including Elizabeth Neumann, former Asst. Secretary of Homeland Security for Trump.
(NOTE: Former CIA Director Webster is 100 years old, and served during both the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations.)
Accusing Trump of national security-impairing vulnerability to China and Russia through the flattery of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the signers write that Trump demonstrated:
“contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior, and chaotic national security decision-making are dangerous qualities – as many honorable Republican colleagues and military officers who served in senior national security positions in his administration have frequently testified.”