I am a lifelong Republican who worked in the Trump White House, and the truth is that I’d rather be backing a candidate from my own party for president. But, for voters who care about preserving our democracy, our freedoms and opportunities, and our country’s standing around the world, there’s only one option: Vice President Kamala Harris.
I left the Trump White House in August 2020 because I saw the danger Donald Trump posed for our country. This year, I joined Republicans for Harris, a coalition that gives voice to the millions of Republicans like me and independent voters who continue to reject the extremism and division of Trump.
I left the Trump White House in August 2020 because I saw the danger Donald Trump posed for our country.
Trump weakened our standing on the world stage, damaged our institutions at home, and restricted our freedoms. He endangers our allies, says he’d allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to “do whatever the hell” he wants to them, and has threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO.
After losing in 2020, Trump tried to overturn a free and fair election, put his own vice president’s life in danger, and unleashed a violent mob on the U.S. Capitol that left five law enforcement officers dead. And still, the Republican Party stood by him.
In the three years since, Trump has become even more unhinged, dangerous and extreme. His entire presidential campaign for 2024 is premised on seeking revenge on his political opponents. Just last week, he attacked the Republican governor of Georgia’s wife and family — who support him — since Gov. Brian Kemp was unwilling to lie about the results of the 2020 election.
Trump wants to be a dictator on day one and his MAGA loyalists are all too willing to let it happen. When a political party bends to the will of a single person and puts them on a pedestal, they’re putting party above country at the expense of the integrity of our institutions and the dignity of our democracy. It’s disgraceful. This is not the Republican Party I know and it’s certainly not a Republican Party I can support.
The good news is, we have another option in this election: someone who values democracy, will uphold the rule of law, and who is prepared to stand with our allies and provide steady leadership to the world.
Vice President Kamala Harris is building a broad coalition that includes everyone because, unlike her opponent, she knows that a president’s job is to serve all Americans, not only those who vote for her.
She will protect our freedoms — including women’s right to make their own health care decisions, while Trump wants to ban access to vital reproductive health care. She will stand by our global partners, from Israel to Ukraine to our NATO allies. She will defend our democracy and ensure we remain a nation in which nobody is above the law.
She will work with anyone who’s willing to come to the table, on either side of the aisle, to deliver real results for the American people. It’s why I endorsed Harris, and it’s why I’m a proud member of Republicans for Harris. To my fellow conservatives: The Republican Party has abandoned you. It’s not too late to reject Trump’s chaos and stand with Kamala Harris, who will defend our democracy and fight for our freedoms. Harris has a vision for the future of our nation. Trump only wants to drag us back into the past. We have an opportunity to be part of that future, to reshape the Republican Party and to restore America’s leadership. We have a chance to join Republicans for Harris and play a part in protecting America from Trump’s MAGA party. This is the way to reset politics toward principles and end Trump’s dead-end populist movement. Our conservative values guide us to make this choice because our country and democracy depend on it.
Olivia Troye
Olivia Troye is a national security strategist and media commentator. She was the homeland security and counterterrorism adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence. She has also held leadership and advisory positions within the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community, as well as the Energy and Defense departments as a political appointee under President George W. Bush. 
