Pubblichiamo la lettera firmata da oltre cento ex membri della sicurezza nazionale e di ex parlamentari del partito repubblicano che invitano gli elettori a non votare Donald Trump, ma Kamala Harris il 5 novembre, alle elezioni presidenziali.
Siamo ex funzionari della sicurezza nazionale e della politica estera che hanno prestato servizio nelle amministrazioni dei presidenti Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush e George W. Bush e/o Donald Trump, o come membri repubblicani del Congresso. Abbiamo prestato servizio alla Casa Bianca, nei Dipartimenti della Difesa, del Tesoro, dello Stato, della Giustizia, della Sicurezza interna, del Commercio e in altre agenzie e nel Congresso.
Crediamo che il presidente degli Stati Uniti debba essere un leader serio e stabile e che possa far progredire e difendere la sicurezza e i valori americani, rafforzare le nostre alleanze e proteggere la nostra democrazia.
Sappiamo di non essere d’accordo con Kamala Harris su molte questioni di politica interna ed estera, ma crediamo che possieda le qualità essenziali per servire come Presidente, e che Donald Trump non le possieda. Pertanto sosteniamo la sua elezione a Presidente.
Ci opponiamo fermamente all’elezione di Donald Trump. Come Presidente, ha promosso il caos quotidiano nel governo, ha elogiato i nostri nemici e minato i nostri alleati, ha politicizzato le forze armate e denigrato i nostri veterani, ha dato priorità ai suoi interessi personali al di sopra degli interessi americani e ha tradito i nostri valori, la democrazia e i testi fondanti di questo Paese.
A nostro avviso, incitando il violento attacco al Campidoglio del 6 gennaio 2021 e difendendo coloro che lo hanno commesso, ha violato il suo giuramento e messo in pericolo il nostro Paese. Come ha detto l’ex Vicepresidente Pence, «chiunque metta se stesso al di sopra della Costituzione non dovrebbe mai essere presidente degli Stati Uniti».
La suscettibilità di Donald Trump alle lusinghe e alle manipolazioni di Vladimir Putin e Xi Jinping, l’insolita affinità con altri leader autoritari, il disprezzo per le norme di un comportamento decente, etico e legale e il caotico processo decisionale in materia di sicurezza nazionale sono aspetti pericolosi, come hanno spesso testimoniato molti onorevoli colleghi repubblicani e ufficiali militari che hanno ricoperto incarichi di alto livello nella sua amministrazione. È inadatto a ricoprire nuovamente la carica di Presidente, o comunque qualsiasi carica di pubblica fiducia.
La Vicepresidente Harris ha dimostrato il suo impegno nel sostenere gli ideali che definiscono la libertà, la democrazia e lo Stato di diritto della nostra nazione. La sua esperienza come procuratrice generale della California e la sua leadership nel Comitato ristretto del Senato sull’intelligence e come Vicepresidente l’hanno preparata a diventare presidente.
Siamo pronti a sostenerla come presidente perché:
- Ha sempre sostenuto lo Stato di diritto, la democrazia e i nostri principi costituzionali;
- Si è impegnata a «garantire che l’America abbia sempre la potenza militare più forte e letale del mondo» e a onorare e rispettare coloro che indossano l’uniforme;
- Si è impegnata a firmare il pacchetto bipartisan sulla sicurezza delle frontiere, elaborato sotto la guida del senatore repubblicano James Lankford e di altri repubblicani, che prevede l’assunzione di millecinquecento nuovi addetti alla protezione delle dogane e delle frontiere e l’aumento delle risorse per le forze dell’ordine, ma che è stato osteggiato da Donald Trump per non dare al presidente Biden alcun vantaggio politico;
- Ha sostenuto una Nato forte per fronteggiare la Russia e proteggere la sicurezza europea e americana e ha sostenuto con fermezza l’Ucraina;
- Ha dichiarato la sua intenzione di garantire che gli Stati Uniti affrontino la competizione economica e militare con la Cina;
- Ha dichiarato la sua intenzione di «sostenere sempre il diritto di Israele a difendersi» e di «intraprendere qualsiasi azione necessaria per difendere le nostre forze e i nostri interessi contro l’Iran e i terroristi sostenuti dall’Iran»;
- Ha dimostrato di essere in grado di prendere decisioni ordinate in materia di sicurezza nazionale, senza i continui drammi e gli avvicendamenti di Gabinetto dell’amministrazione Trump;
- Si è impegnata a nominare un repubblicano nel suo Gabinetto per incoraggiare una diversità di vedute e ripristinare un certo grado di bipartitismo e di correttezza nella nostra politica interna.
Apprezziamo il fatto che molti repubblicani preferiscano Donald Trump a Kamala Harris, per una serie di diverse ragioni. Riconosciamo e non denigriamo le loro potenziali preoccupazioni, anche per quanto riguarda alcune delle posizioni sostenute dall’ala sinistra del partito democratico. Ma ogni potenziale preoccupazione impallidisce di fronte al comportamento caotico e immorale dimostrato da Donald Trump e al suo disprezzo per i principi di governo costituzionale della nostra Repubblica.
La sua natura imprevedibile non esalta la virtù negoziale. Al contrario, in materia di sicurezza nazionale, il suo atteggiamento invita i nostri avversari a comportarsi in modo altrettanto imprevedibile, minacciando irresponsabilmente conseguenze globali pericolose e sconsiderate.
In breve, non ci si può fidare del fatto che Donald Trump «sostenga e difenda la Costituzione degli Stati Uniti contro tutti i nemici, stranieri e nazionali…e sia fedele alla stessa». Crediamo che Kamala Harris possa farlo, e invitiamo gli altri americani a unirsi a noi nel sostenerla.
Admiral Steve Abbot
USN (Ret.), Former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, George W. Bush Administration
Kenneth Adelman
Former Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Reagan Administration
Dr. Carol C. Adelman
Former Assistant Administrator, United States Agency for International Development, Reagan Administration
Major General John Barry
USAF (Ret.), Former Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense
Richard C. Barth
Former Assistant Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, George W. Bush Administration
Christopher Barton
Former Director, National Security Council Staff
John Bellinger
Former Legal Adviser, National Security Council , George W. Bush Administration
Admiral Kenneth Bernard
Former Special Assistant to the President, George W. Bush Administration
Mark E. Bitterman
Former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, George H.W. Bush Administration
Robert D. Blackwill
Former Deputy National Security Advisor and Ambassador to India, George W. Bush Administration
William Bodie
Former Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, George W. Bush Administration
Christian M.L. Bonat
Former Deputy General Counsel, Dept. of Defense, George W. Bush Administration and Obama Administration
Richard Boucher
Former Assistant Secretary of State, George W. Bush Administration
Charles W.Boustany, Jr.
Former Member of Congress, Louisiana
Charles R. Bowers
Former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, George H.W. Bush Administration
Greg Brower
Former Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Obama and Trump Administrations
Christopher Buckley
Former Chief Speechwriter, Office of Vice President George H.W. Bush
James R. Bullington
Former U.S. Ambassador to Burundi, Reagan Administration
Richard Burt
Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Reagan Administration
Gahl Hodges Burt
Former Assistant to the Secretary of State, Reagan Administration
Rear Admiral Fred Byus
U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Jack C. Chow
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, George W. Bush Administration
James W. Cicconi
Former Assistant to the President & Deputy to the Chief of Staff, The White House, George H. W. Bush Administration
Peggy Cifrino
Former Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, George W. Bush Administration
Eliot A. Cohen
Former Counselor of the Dept. of State, George W. Bush Administration
Benedict S. Cohen
Former General Counsel, Dept. of the Army, George W. Bush Administration
William Cohen
Former Secretary of Defense, Clinton Administration, and U.S. Senator, Maine
Joseph J. Collins
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, George W. Bush Administration
Barbara Comstock
Former Member of Congress, Virginia
Cindy Courville
Former Ambassador to the African Union and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs for Africa, W. Bush Administration
Chester A. Crocker
Former Assistant Secretary of State, Reagan Administration
Patrick M. Cronin
Former Assistant Administrator, United States Agency for International Development, George W. Bush Administration
Stephen W. DeVine
Former Deputy Legal Advisor, National Security Council, George W. Bush Administration
Charles Djou
Former Member of Congress, Hawaii
Michael Donley
Former Secretary of the Air Force, George W. Bush Administration and Obama Administration
Raymond F. DuBois
Former Acting Under Secretary of the Army, George W. Bush Administration
Martha E. Duncan
Former Senior Executive Service, Dept. of Defense, George W. Bush Administration and Obama Administration
Lewis A. Dunn
Former Assistant Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Reagan Administration
Eric S. Edelman
Former Under Secretary of Defense, George W. Bush Administration
Mickey Edwards
Former Member of Congress, Oklahoma
Richard A. Falkenrath
Former Deputy Assistant to the President, George W. Bush Administration
Jendayi E. Frazer
Former Ambassador to South Africa and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, George W. Bush Administration
Aaron L. Friedberg
Former Deputy Assistant to the Vice President, George W. Bush Administration
William Gaches
Former Director of Counterterrorism, National Security Agency, George W. Bush Administration
Janice Gardner
Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, George W. Bush Administration
Stuart M. Gerson
Former Acting Attorney General of the United States, George W. Bush Administration
James K. Glassman
Former Under Secretary of State, George W. Bush Administration
Jon D. Glassmaz
Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President and Ambassador to Paraguay, George H.W. Bush Administration
David Gordon
Former Director, State Dept, Policy Planning, George W. Bush Administration
Sen. Chuck Hagel
Former Secretary of Defense, Obama Administration , and former U.S. Senator, Nebraska
Christopher Hankin
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; Reagan, George H.W. Bush , and Clinton Administrations
Mark Harvey
Former Special Assistant to the President, Trump Administration
General Michael V. Hayden
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, George W. Bush Administration and Obama Administrations
Carla Hills
Former U.S. Trade Representative, George H.W Bush Administration
Seth Hurwitz
Former Counsel, President’s Intelligence Oversight Board , George H.W. Bush Administration
Peter Keisler
Former Acting Attorney General of the United States, George W. Bush Administration
James A. Kelly
Former Assistant Secretary of State, George W. Bush Administration
Adam Kinzinger
Former Member of Congress, Illinois
Sofia Kinzinger
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Dept. of Homeland Security, Trump Administration
Kenneth J. Krieg
Former Under Secretary of Defense, George W. Bush Administration
James R. Kunder
Former Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for International Development, George W. Bush Administration
Brigadier General George Landis, USA, Ret.
Former commander, United States Personnel Information Systems Command
Frank Lavin
Former Ambassador to Singapore and Former Under Secretary of Commerce, George W. Bush Administration
Peter Lichtenbaum
Former Assistant Secretary ofCommerce, George W. Bush Administration
Rear Admiral David M. Lichtman, MD, USN (Ret.)
Former Commander, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, George H.W. Bush and Clinton Administrations
Winston Lord
Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administration
Steven R. Mann
Former Ambassador to Turkmenistan and Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Dept. , Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations
Colonel John W. McDonald
Former Deputy Under Secretary of the Army
Michael McKinley
Former Ambassador to Peru and Acting Ambassador to the European Union and Mozambique, George W. Bush Administration; Former Ambassador to Peru, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Brazil, Obama Administration
Dan Miller
Former Member of Congress, Florida
John M. Mitnick
Former General Counsel, Dept. of Homeland Security, Trump Administration
Allen Moore
Former Under Secretary of Commerce, Reagan Administration
Alberto Mora
Former General Counsel , U.S. Information Agency, George H.W. Bush Administration; Former General Counsel, Dept. of the Navy, George W. Bush Administration
Kenneth Mortensen
Former Associate Deputy Attorney General, George W. Bush Administration
Vice Admiral Charles L. Munns
U.S. Navy (Ret.), George W. Bush Administration
John D. Negroponte
Former Director of National Intelligence and Former Deputy Secretary of State, George W. Bush Administration
Elizabeth Neumann
Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Trump Administration
Sean O’Keefe
Former Secretary of the Navy, George H.W. Bush Administration; Former NASA Administrator, George W. Bush Administration
Bill Paxon
Former Member of Congress, New York
William R. Piekney
Former CIA Chief of Station , Reagan Administration
Daniel M. Price
Former Deputy National Security Advisor, George W. Bush Administration
Alan Charles Raul
Former Vice Chairman, White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board , George W. Bush Administration
Victor Reis
Former Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, George H.W. Bush Administration
Robert Annan Riley
Former Ambassador to Micronesia, Trump Administration
Paul Rosenzweig
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, George W. Bush Administration
Charles O. Rossotti
Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations
Nicholas Rostow
Former National Security Council Legal Adviser, Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations
Kori Schake
Former Deputy Director of Policy Planning, State Dept., George W. Bush Administration
Dr. Wayne A. Schroeder
Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, George W. Bush Administration
Gregory L. Schulte
Former Senior Director, National Security Council Staff and Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, George W. Bush Administration
Robert Shanks
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Reagan Administration
Rep. Christopher Shays
Former Member of Congress, Connecticut
John Simon
Former Senior Director, National Security Council Staff and Ambassador to the African Union, George W. Bush Administration
Stephen Slick
Former Senior Director, National Security Council Staff, George W. Bush Administration
Mark C. Storella
Former U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, Obama Administration
William H. Taft IV
Former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Ambassador to NATO, George W. Bush Administration
MilesTaylor
Former Chief of Staff, Dept. of Homeland Security, Trump Administration
Larry D. Thompson
Former Deputy Attorney General, George W. Bush Administration
Jack Thomas Tomarchio
Former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Homeland Security, George W. Bush Administration
Olivia Troye
Former Special Advisor to the Vice President, Trump Administration
Robert Tuttle
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom , George W. Bush Administration
John K. Veroneau
Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, George W. Bush and Clinton Administrations
Colonel Terry Virts, USAF (Ret.)
Former NASA Astronaut, Former Commander of the International Space Station
Dr. Thomas G. Ward, Jr.
Former Director of Threats, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Reagan and Clinton Administrations
Matthew C. Waxman
Former Principal Deputy Director, State Dept Policy Planning, George W. Bush Administration
William H. Webster
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigations, Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations
William F. Weld
Former Assistant Attorney General , Criminal Division, Reagan Administration
Robinson West
Former Assistant Secretary of Interior, Reagan Administration
Wendell L. Willkie II
Former General Counsel, Dept. of Commerce, George H.W. Bush Administration
Philip Zelikow
Former Counselor of the Dept. of State, George W. Bush Administration
Robert B. Zoellick
Former Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, George W. Bush Administration; White House Deputy Chief of Staff, George H.W. Bush Administration