8/24/20
On the first day of the GOP convention Monday, Democratic nominees Joe Biden and Kamala Harris picked up support from 27 former GOP members of Congress, including former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump before and after retiring in 2018 -- in the latest act of defiance from Republicans against the sitting president who represents their party. "In a strong rebuke to the current administration, these former members of Congress cited Trump's corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant disregard for moral decency, and urgent need to get the country back on course as a reason why they support Biden. These former Members of Congress are supporting Joe Biden because they know what's at stake in this election and that Trump's failures as President have superseded partisanship," the Biden campaign wrote announcing the endorsements. Some of the names on the list had previously announced their support for Biden, including former Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent, who wrote an op-ed about his decision to endorse Biden last week, and former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, who spoke at the DNC with other Republicans. Along with the endorsements, the Biden campaign is launching "Republicans for Biden," which they say will be a "national effort to engage Republicans who are supporting Biden this fall.
Later in the day, Flake personally addressed his decision to vote for the first time in his life for the Democratic candidate in a firm address aimed at his fellow conservatives. "After the turmoil of the past four years, we need a president who unifies rather than divides. We need a president who prefers teamwork to tribalism. We need a president who summons our better angels, not a president who appeals to our baser instincts. That's why we need Joe Biden," Flake said in live-streamed remarks straight to the camera. Attempting to lay out the case against Trump, Flake also sought to appeal to fellow conservatives by warning against simply supporting the party they have traditionally belong to under the control of Trump. "Some of my conservative friends will say yes, we don't like his behavior, but he governs as a conservative. Here today I will say to my fellow conservatives whatever else you might call the behavior I have just described, It is most assuredly not conservative," Flake said. "Indifference to the truth, or to the careful stewardship of the institutions of American liberty is not conservative. Disregard for the separation of powers -- the centerpiece of our constitutional system -- is not conservative. Governing by tweet is not conservative -- it's not even governing."