Given Vice President Kamala Harris’ emphasis on reaching out to independents and disaffected GOP voters, it wasn’t too surprising when the Democratic campaign launched a “Republicans for Harris” initiative early on. What is surprising is just how successful it’s been.
Republicans for Harris has turned into a credible powerhouse as the 2024 race unfolded, backed by former members of Congress, governors, mayors, state lawmakers, cabinet secretaries, White House staffers, Republican National Committee chairs, and even a former Republican vice president who probably never dreamed he’d be backing a Democratic presidential candidate.
But two days before Election Day, Harris picked up some new support from an unexpected former Trump administration official. HuffPost noted:
John Mitnick, who was general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump, on Sunday called the Republican nominee a “would-be autocrat and fascist” in a lengthy social media thread warning “fellow conservatives” who are considering voting for Trump. “I was a senior, Senate-confirmed appointee in the Trump administration. I saw it from the inside. It was a chaotic disaster. I am also a lifelong conservative, a former Republican nominee for Congress, and a former White House Counsel,” Mitnick wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in a 13-part thread.
Just so we’re all clear, Mitnick isn’t exactly the kind of Republican who’s earned a “RINO” label. Among other things, the guy served as the Heritage Foundation’s chief legal officer.
But he nevertheless went online on Sunday to warn the American public about his party’s presidential nominee. “Trump is reckless, angry, vengeful, and narcissistic, and he has no respect for the Constitution or the rule of law,” Mitnick wrote as part of a lengthy online thread.
He added, “[Trump] is not a conservative; rather, he is a would-be autocrat and fascist motivated exclusively by his personal self-interest. If you think he cares about you or your family, I assure you that he does not. He cares only about himself.”
Mitnick went on to explain that the United States did not go “completely off the rails” during Trump’s first term because “there were just enough senior officials who served as ‘guardrails.’”
In a second term, he explained, there will be no guardrails.
“You won’t escape the disastrous effects of his policies (e.g., tariffs) on the economy, global instability and damage to national security resulting from his admiration for foreign dictators, or the chaos, lawlessness, and persecution that he promises,” Mitnick added. “No one will.”
The former Trump administration official concluded: “I disagree with Kamala Harris on many issues, but she will respect our constitutional system and the rule of law, and she will support our international alliances and allies. She has also pledged to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet. I respectfully urge you to join me and many other conservatives and Republicans in voting for Kamala Harris. It’s time to close the book on Trump and rebuild a truly conservative party based on respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, and each other.”
I realize that some in the GOP, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, want to know “what the hell” these anti-Trump Republicans are thinking, but what Americans are witnessing is an extraordinary display of patriotism from current and former officeholders, each of whom is putting country above party. What’s more, let’s not overlook the fact that these same Republicans are taking a risk: They know, just as we all know, that Trump believes in using the levers of power to retaliate against those on his enemies list. It’s entirely possible that Mitnick and many like him will feel the former president’s wrath if he returns to power. But with the nation’s future on the line, they’re doing it anyway. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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