A group of Reagan administration staffers have issued a joint endorsement of Kamala Harris for President. In an open letter, more than a dozen people became the latest Republicans to back Harris, saying they believe former President Reagan would have done the same. The letter notes that Reagan once spoke about a “time for choosing,” adding that “the time for choosing we face today is a choice between integrity and demagoguery.”
The list of signatories includes former ambassador Ken Adelman, former communications director Elizabeth Board, and Deputy Assistant to President B. Jay Cooper, and official White House photographer Pete Souza—a long-term Trump critic. The group said they hope their letter will encourage other Republicans to support Harris and protect democracy for future generations of Americans.
The number of Republicans and former Trump supporters throwing their weight behind Harris continues to grow. Several individuals who served with the controversial billionaire during his White House term are loudly warning that the former President is a significant threat to America’s democratic tradition. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump has also gained high-profile backers, including former Democrats Robert F. Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard, who argue that the Democratic Party has become censorious and is therefore the real threat to US democracy.
Rhetoric about threats to democracy is under the spotlight following a second assassination attempt on Mr. Trump in Florida. Despite regularly referring to Kamala Harris as a “Marxist” and a “fascist,” Trump insists that his opponents’ accusations against him are placing his life in danger.
The former President accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of inciting violence against him after police arrested a man in the Sunshine State for allegedly trying to shoot him. The incident happened on Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course when a pro-Ukraine activist armed with a rifle managed to position himself within feet of the former President. Secret Service agents, however, spotted Ryan Routh and prevented harm to the Republican candidate.
Faced with what some observers call a new campaign dilemma, Democrats must campaign against Trump without further inflaming potential violence. Several commentators suggest that Vice President Harris must focus on policy, while Mr. Trump’s team has advised him to do the same.
