Donald Trump 'unfit to serve': Over 100 Republican ex-officials endorse Kamala Harris' presidential bid

More than 100 former Republican national security and foreign policy officials have thrown their support behind Kamala Harris for president, calling Donald Trump "unfit to serve."

This bipartisan group, as per reports, includes officials from the administrations of Ronald Reagan, both Bush presidencies, and even Trump himself, as well as some Democratic leaders.

Who signed the letter?

Prominent figures in the endorsement include former defence secretaries William Cohen and Chuck Hagel, and former CIA directors William Webster and Michael Hayden. Some of Trump's former staff, such as Mark Harvey and Elizabeth Neumann, also joined the endorsement.

The officials made their endorsement in a strongly worded joint letter.

"We believe that the president of the United States must be a principled, serious, and steady leader," they wrote.

They acknowledged potential policy disagreements with Harris but stressed her leadership qualities and readiness for office, traits they believe Trump lacks.

"We expect to disagree with Kamala Harris on many domestic and foreign policy issues, but we believe that she possesses the essential qualities to serve as president and Donald Trump does not. We therefore support her election to be president."

Republicans speak out against Trump

The letter criticises Trump for fostering chaos in government, prioritising personal interests over national ones, and undermining US democracy—citing his role in the January 6 Capitol attack and his dealings with authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

"We firmly oppose the election of Donald Trump. As president, he promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicised the military and disparaged our veterans, prioritized his personal interest above American interests, and betrayed our values, democracy, and this country's founding document," added the letter.

The group also highlighted Democratic Party presidential candidate Harris'commitment to NATO, and Israel, and her willingness to work across the aisle, including a pledge to appoint Republicans to her administration.

This endorsement follows a growing trend of Republicans, like former congressperson Barbara Comstock and former Trump aides, crossing party lines to back Harris ahead of the election.

(With inputs from agencies)