More than 200 Bush, McCain, Romney aides endorse Harris

More than 200 former aides to the three GOP presidential nominees who preceded former President Trump in 2016 — former President George W. Bush, former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — endorsed Vice President Harris on Monday.

The majority of the group also endorsed President Biden in 2020. The group wrote a letter announcing the endorsement, USA Today first reported.

The letter said it was a reunion of sorts from 2020, though it added that additional Bush alumni in particular were added to the group this cycle that are opposing Trump and backing Harris.

“Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable,” the Republicans wrote.

They added, “At home, another four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic leadership, this time focused on advancing the dangerous goals of Project 2025, will hurt real, everyday people and weaken our sacred institutions. Abroad, democratic movements will be irreparably jeopardized as Trump and his acolyte JD Vance kowtow to dictators like Vladimir Putin while turning their backs on our allies.”

The Republicans also called on friends and colleagues to “vote for leaders that will strive for consensus, not chaos,” arguing that “moderate Republicans and conservative independents” in swing states brought Biden his victory over Trump in 2020.

The Harris campaign touted the endorsements Monday, weeks after it launched the Republicans for Harris coalition.

The campaign included a handful of GOP speakers, including ex-Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and former aides to Trump, at the Democratic National Convention last week.