In a discussion on CNN this week with the news network’s Jim Acosta, former GOP Congressman Ray LaHood spoke out against the prospect of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump returning to power after this year’s general election.
“The Republican Party that many of us came up through and worked with does not exist, Jim, and we want it back. We want to take it back. The way to take it back is to make sure that Trump does not get elected,” LaHood said on air. “The Trump Party exists. The Republican Party does not. I believe that Vice President Harris — hopefully she’ll follow some of the leads of President Obama and President Biden in terms of reaching out to those experienced, knowledgeable people that can make a difference. And some of them might be Republicans.”
LaHood himself also served in the Obama Administration as Transportation Secretary, and his comments on CNN come on the heels of the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris rolling out a new campaign initiative spotlighting exactly this kind of support: Republicans for Harris. Those adding their backing even included former Trump Administration officials including Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye.
“As someone who served in the Trump White House, I witnessed the destruction & chaos firsthand. A second Trump term will bring more turmoil. As a lifelong Republican, I may not agree with Kamala Harris on everything, but I trust her to protect our freedoms, uphold the rule of law & provide steady leadership on the world stage,” Troye, a former Pence advisor, said recently on social media.
Polling suggests that Harris’ side clearly has a shot, with promising results at both the national level and in key, individual states like Georgia and Michigan. Recent polling from The New York Times and Siena College found Harris leading Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — all known lately as battleground states in presidential elections.
