Former Rep. Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who served in the House for 30 years and will retire in 2022 after voting to impeach former President Donald J. Trump, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday. He became the latest Republican figure to cross party lines and endorse Republican policies. she.
Upton said in a statement that the former president is “unfit to serve as commander-in-chief again” and blamed him for the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the Capitol, adding, “He is a leader from an administration. directly jeopardized the peaceful transition of the United States.” to the next. ”
Mr. Upton, 71, said he had already voted for Ms. Harris, the first time in his life he had voted for a Democrat in a presidential election, and said he was confident she would work to “bring people together.” .
He argued that it was long past time for Republicans to abandon Trump.
“Respected Republican leaders have repeatedly implored the former president to focus on governing, not personal attacks, untruths, and continued false claims in the 2020 election,” he said. “Instead of heeding that advice, we see unacceptable and uninhibited behavior in most forums almost every day.”
Harris hopes that support from Upton, a moderate Republican in a key battleground state, will help sway Michigan voters she needs to draw away from Trump to win. She supported Nikki Haley in the primary and is working to appeal to Republican voters who may be reluctant to support Trump but are unsure whether to vote Democratic.
Ed Duggan, the Michigan state director for the Harris campaign, called Upton’s endorsement “a courageous and honorable decision to put country over party.”
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