This series lists prominent Republicans, Trump appointees and veterans of previous Republican presidencies now opposing Trump’s reelection. And shows why.
Click here for parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-three. This is part twenty-four.
Click on the name for the source of the quote.
134. Bob Tuttle, director of personnel under Reagan and ambassador to the UK under G W Bush:
“He is a malignant narcissist. He's a liar. He's a despicable human being and the worst president in American history – it's not even close.” [20 August 2020]
135. James Clapper, director of the defense intelligence agencies for George W Bush:
“He [Trump] has besmirched the Intelligence community and the FBI – pillars of our country – and deliberately incited many Americans to lose faith and confidence in them.” [31 May 2018]
136. Robert Blackwill, served as Ambassador to India and National Security Council Deputy for Iraq under President George W Bush:
“He [Trump] conveys foreign policy failures as successes and minor accomplishments as cosmic victories. He makes important decisions against the advice of his cabinet advisors – if he consults them at all. He has had unprecedented turnover in senior foreign and defense policy positions and, at this writing, has had three national security advisors. He treats international negotiation as a form of demolition derby.” [April 2019]
137. Ray LaHood, Republican ex-congressman for Illinois:
“I have met every president since Nixon. Although I haven’t agreed with every one of them on every issue, each one of those people, except for Nixon, distinguished themselves in a way that made our country proud ... This president has not done that.” [15 January, 2020]
138. Marianne Fiorentino, former Republican, recently changed to Independent:
“I just cannot tolerate the divisiveness, the lying, the illegal activity. Every day is just one more dramatic mess this guy has created.” [August 2020]
139. Tyler Fehrman, Republican campaign director and candidate in Ohio:
“I have watched with horror as my fellow Republicans, friends and family have been duped by this con man and his penchant for taking advantage of our worst fears for his own political gain.” [August 2020]
140. Mike Ludwig, life-long Republican in Pennsylvania:
“Trump is the most fiscally-irresponsible president in our history. His administration has only been in power for two per cent of our country’s history. But they have incurred over 25 per cent of our national debt. This is gross mismanagement.” [August 2020]
And from the archives:
141. Mindy Finn, entrepreneur, founder of Empowered Women, Republican strategist for George W Bush and Mitt Romney:
"Donald Trump is unique. He speaks and acts and stands for things that most Republicans didn't prior to the cycle. But, by many of those leaders getting on board with Donald Trump, failing to repudiate him, failing to make a full-throated argument against racism, sexism and religious bigotry, they've allowed Donald Trump to mainstream views that are not conservative for any kind of conservatism that I was part of, and are certainly dangerous for the country." [8 November, 2016]
To be continued ...
Readers’ tips in the comments are invited.