Nearly 100 Prominent Former Republican Officials Endorse Joe Biden, Criticize Donald Trump's Leadership

Nearly 100 prominent former Republican officials chose to endorse Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Thursday, with the former lawmakers and governors criticizing President Donald Trump’s leadership style.

The officials are part of a group called “Republicans and Independents for Biden.” The effort is led by Christine Todd Whitman, a former Republican governor of New Jersey and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the George W. Bush administration.

"More than 180,000 Americans are dead from a pandemic that, with consistent leadership, could have been contained," Whitman said in a statement. "Instead, it has been left to spin out of control by a president who ignored it, refused to lead, and endangered American lives."

Another prominent member of the group is former Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who served in the role from 2011 to 2019.

"I will continue to support and stand up for Republican policies and values, and support Republican candidates, but I will not support Donald Trump for reelection," Snyder said Thursday in a USA Today op-ed. Snyder characterized Trump as a “bully” and said Biden would unite Americans together.

Other prominent anti-Trump Republican organizations include "43 Alumni for Biden," composed of former members of the Bush administration and former Republican National Security Officials for Biden. Republicans for the Rule of Law and The Lincoln Project are two anti-Trump conservative groups that have used advertising to attack the president and the members of congress who enable his policies.

The Biden campaign has touted its support from Republicans. During the Democratic National Convention in August, former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich called Biden a “good man” and a “unifier.”

The ability of Kasich and Snyder to influence their state's Republican voters could be crucial. Ohio and Michigan have a total of 34 electoral votes and both states voted for Trump in 2016.

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in August, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who previously served as President Barack Obama's chief of staff, said he predicts a wave of “Biden Republicans” will show up to vote in November. He believes Trump’s behavior could turn off more moderate members of the party, leading them to vote for Biden.

"Democrats have the chance to achieve a generational transformation. Beyond broadening the coalition to include moderate voters who oppose President Trump, we could deepen our base by turning disaffected Republicans into Democrats,” Emanuel said.