Harris is endorsed by ten former senior military officials, who refer to Trump as a “danger”
In a letter, which was made public on Monday, a group of 10 retired top U.S. military officials endorsed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The letter stated that Harris is the only presidential candidate who is qualified to serve as the nation’s commander in chief and that her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, is “a danger to our national security and democracy.”
The letter, which was signed by Retired General Larry Ellis and Retired Rear Admiral Michael Smith, among others, pointed to Trump’s disparaging remarks about military personnel and his own “chaotic approach” to Afghanistan in the lead-up to the U.S. withdrawal. This approach included negotiating a deal with the Taliban that permitted 5,000 of the group’s fighters to return to the battlefield.
In contrast, they stated that Harris has “proven her capacity to confront the most challenging national security challenges on the international stage and in the Situation Room,” ranging from the escalation of tensions with China in the Indo-Pacific to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Harris is the sole and most qualified presidential candidate in this race who is capable of serving as our commander in chief,” they stated in the letter that was published on X by Harris’ campaign.
Before the Nov. 5 election, the Democratic vice president and Trump, who is running for the third time after serving from 2017 to early 2021, are engaged in a close race in an unprecedented contest that raises significant questions about the future of American democracy.
The letter was published in conjunction with a new Harris campaign ad that was released prior to the two candidates’ Tuesday night debate. The ad featured former Trump officials who are warning that a second Trump presidency would present significant risks.
“In 2016, Donald Trump declared that he would assign only the most qualified individuals to his White House. Currently, those individuals have delivered a warning to the United States. The advertisement asserts that Trump is unqualified to serve as president once more, and it expresses concern for his vice president. Videos from former Defense Secretary Mike Esper, former national security adviser John Bolton, former vice president Mike Pence, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley were included.
In addition, the letter is issued one day prior to a congressional gold medal ceremony hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson to commemorate the 13 service members who lost their lives during the tumultuous Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021. Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues have attempted to attribute the Afghanistan withdrawal to Harris, and on Monday, Congress released a report.
The retired military officials in their letter accused Trump of “failing to take responsibility for his own role in putting service members in harm’s way.” They also cited his agreement to release Taliban fighters without involving the Afghan government and his failure to provide a withdrawal plan after his departure from office following his 2020 election loss.
