Washington [US], August 28: Hundreds of former Republican officials have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, amid expectations she will help Democrats gain control of both houses of Congress.
CBS reported on August 27 that more than 200 Republican members who worked for the late President George H. W. Bush, former President George W. Bush , the late Senator John McCain and Senator Mitt Romney announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House. Supporting the Democratic candidate, the group of Republicans said that democracy would be "irreparably damaged" if the United States had another term under former President Donald Trump.
"Courage again"
In a public letter, the group acknowledged that they had ideological disagreements with the Democratic ticket, but said that was normal and that "the alternative is unacceptable." The letter called on moderate Republicans and independents in battleground states that voted for President Joe Biden to "take a courageous stand again."
In another development that favors Ms. Harris, the latest analysis by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ shows that Ms. Harris's candidacy has helped the Democrats increase their control of the White House and both houses of Congress. Accordingly, Ms. Harris has a 55% chance of winning the election compared to Mr. Biden's previous rate of only 44%. The Republicans have a 67% chance of controlling the Senate, down from 78% when Mr. Biden had not withdrawn. Similarly, the party has a 56% chance of controlling the House of Representatives compared to the previous rate of 61%.
While many Republicans support Ms. Harris, a notable development in the opposite direction is that former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard (43 years old) announced her support for Mr. Trump. Ms. Gabbard ran for US president in 2020. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent politician, according to Fox News .
"Day of Shame"
In an effort to stem the Democrats' advance, Mr. Trump criticized the current administration for "the collapse of trust and respect for America" in the bombing at Kabul airport three years ago when the US-led coalition withdrew from Afghanistan. The incident killed 13 US soldiers and more than 100 Afghans. Speaking in Detroit (Michigan), Mr. Trump said the withdrawal was "the most shameful day in the history of our country" and caused conflict around the world. "It led to Russia going into Ukraine , Hamas attacking Israel because it made us lose respect," The Hill quoted him as accusing.
He also spent much of his speech on the US-Mexico border, pledging to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the US. He also spoke about his military priorities if elected, including creating a National Guard in the space force, ending the war in Ukraine and preventing what he called the possibility of World War III. The former president pledged to build a missile defense system similar to the Iron Dome system that helps Israel intercept short-range rockets.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
