This series contact traces prominent Republicans openly critical of Donald Trump or who have given up on him altogether. Read part one here, two here, three here, four here, five here, six here, seven here, eight here and part nine here. This is part ten. How many more could there possibly be?
54. Larry Hogan, Republican governor of Maryland and chairman of the National Governors Association:
"Eventually, it was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation’s [Covid-19] response was hopeless. If we delayed any longer, we’d be condemning more of our citizens to suffering and death ... An undertaking as large as a national testing program required Washington’s help. We expected something more than constant heckling from the man who was supposed to be our leader.” [16 July 2020]
55. Omarosa Manigault Newman, Trump’s former director of communications:
“I’ve done a lot of work around Donald Trump, and there was a time when he was very coherent and could make clear decisions ... Now, we all watch him as he kind of rambles and stumbles and twitches and is incoherent at times ... It is quite obvious he is not well, and that he needs professional help.” [4 June 2020]
56. Ben Sasse, Republican senator for Nebraska:
“The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop ... President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress.” [8 August 2020]
57. Michael Chertoff, homeland security chief under President George W Bush:
“In my view, this [Trump deploying federal cops against protesters] is damaging to the department ... While it is appropriate for DHS to protect federal property, that is not an excuse to range more widely in a city and to conduct police operations, particularly if local authorities have not requested federal assistance. That’s our constitutional system.” [23 July 2020]
58. John Farner, lifelong Republican, campaign worker for George W Bush, then served in his commerce department:
"More than 130,000 Americans are dead, and over 30 million are unemployed. That's just unacceptable right now. We continue to look to the White House for leadership that we are not getting." [9 July 2020]
59. Charles Sykes, veteran conservative broadcaster and author, founder of Right Wisconsin:
“There are just some lines you don't cross ... [Trump] is a serial liar, a con man who mocks the disabled and women, who lacks both the temperament and the character to be president ... I think Donald Trump taints both the Republican Party and conservatives.” [18 June 2018]
60. Joe Walsh, former Republican congressman for Illinois:
“... as another week of Trump comes to a close—a week full of his lies and misdirections on coronavirus, a week that saw America’s death count hit 153,000, and a week that showed the American economy shrunk more than it ever has before in history—don’t lose sight of this: The President of the United States this week purposefully undermined the legitimacy of an upcoming American election. Full stop. I mean, just think about that. Be outraged by that. Because it’s not right, and it’s not at all normal.” [31 July 2020]
And from the archives:
61. Brent Scowcroft, Former National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and Bush 41:
“I am endorsing Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.” [June 2016]
To be continued ...
Readers’ tips in the comments are invited.