Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speak at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 6.
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Prominent Republicans backing Vice President Harris are urging other members of the party to support Democrats instead of former President Trump.
Former elected officials and party leaders made their case for supporting Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in a virtual rally Tuesday night called “Republicans for Harris.”
Former Rep. Denver Riggleman, a former member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is a consultant Submitted to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. He described Trump as a “hardened liar” and a “conspiracy theorist.”
“When you look at the data, you’re going to see the horrific things that I saw – you’re going to see the command and control infrastructure on January 6th, there’s no way I, as a Republican, could have voted for anything that was anti-Constitutional. people,” Riggleman said.
Several participants in the Republican backing of Harris said that while they disagreed with all of Harris’ policies, they believed Trump would endanger American democracy.
“When Team Harris wins and prevents the sudden death of American democracy, we can happily revisit marginal tax rates and the role of government in health care, and all the things that have defined our politics for generations,” said Craig Snyder. Other questions.
Snyder’s team recently received cease and desist letter Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination. Noting Harris’ record as a former prosecutor, Snyder said he was trying to make the case to former Haley supporters and other center-right voters that Harris and Walz would rule from the center-left.
Speakers also sought to cast themselves — rather than Trump supporters — as true heirs to Republican tradition, citing former Republican presidents including Ronald Reagan and the Bushes.
Austin Weatherford, National Republican participation Harris campaign director noted that President George W. Bush Describe Trump Seen as “weird” before waltzing apply the term to Republican candidates.
Lina Shah political strategist Using language designed to appeal to small-government conservatives, the former Republican National Committee representative raised a key Democratic ballot issue this year: abortion rights. Shah cited “draconian bans” supported by Republicans in multiple states since overthrowing president Roe v. Wade 2022.
“When I see this happening, I think it’s antithetical to the Republican Party that I’m a member of,” Shah said. “I don’t want the government in my backyard, my bedroom, my bank account, and certainly not in the exam room.”
Overcoming fears of shame and rejection by Republican loved ones also emerged as a key theme.
Rosario Marin, who served as U.S. Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush, called a vote for Trump “unacceptable” but acknowledged that voting for a Democrat could strain relationships among some.
“It’s not easy to vote outside the party,” she said. “You may lose friends. Your neighbors may disagree with you. Family gatherings may become uncomfortable. But at the end of the day I can promise you, you will know in your heart that you did the right thing, and this is a rewarding experience. A worthy and noble cause.
Former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh acknowledged that it “takes a lot of courage” for many Republicans to publicly break with their party, but he believes it is necessary.
“You have to say publicly: ‘I’m a Republican; I’m a conservative and I support Kamala Harris,'” Walsh said. “It takes courage, but remember – Donald Trump is not fit to be president.”
Organizers said more than 70,000 people participated in the live call, where speakers urged Republican participants to support Harris by volunteering and publicly endorsing her campaign.
