70 Former Republican National Security Officials Endorse Biden, Call Trump ‘Unfit’ For Office

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A group of over 70 former Republican national security officials, spanning the administrations of Ronald Reagan through Donald Trump, have released a scathing letter criticizing President Trump’s leadership and endorsing Joe Biden.

“We are profoundly concerned about the course of our nation under the leadership of Donald Trump,” the letter reads. “Through his actions and his rhetoric, Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behavior that renders him unfit to serve as President.”

The officials, some of whom are former Republican lawmakers in Congress, said they would support Biden because he “has the character, experience, and temperament to lead this nation.” Among those who signed are Gen. Michael Hayden (in photo above), the former director of both the CIA and National Security Agency; and former Virginia Sen. John Warner.

“While some of us hold policy positions that differ from those of Joe Biden and his party, the time to debate those policy differences will come later. For now, it is imperative that we stop Trump’s assault on our nation’s values and institutions and reinstate the moral foundations of our democracy.”

The letter spells out why the officials believe Trump has “failed our country,” referencing the role of America on the international stage, Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and his undermining of confidence in U.S. elections.

The officials say the president has “aligned himself with dictators” and has “regularly praised the actions of dictators and human rights abusers.”

“He proclaimed his ‘love’ and ‘great respect’ for North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un,” they write, “endorsed ‘brilliant leader’ Xi Jinping’s move to serve as China’s president for life, repeatedly sided with Vladimir Putin against our own intelligence community, and pronounced himself a ‘big fan’ of Turkish president Recep Erdogan despite his crackdown on democracy.”

— Barbara Sprunt, NPR Producer, Washington Desk