Hundreds of former Bush, McCain, Romney staffers endorse Harris

Aug. 27 (UPI) -- More than 200 ex-staffers for former President George W. Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush , as well as the late Sen. John McCain and Sen. Mitt Romney are endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president, according to a letter released Monday.

The group of Republicans, which released a similar letter in 2020, warned that democracy would be "irreparably jeopardized" by a second White House term for former President Donald Trump .

"We have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Tim Walz. That's to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable," the letter states .

"Another four years of Donald Trump's chaotic leadership, this time focused on advancing the dangerous goals of Project 2025, will hurt real, everyday people and weaken our sacred institutions," the group claims. Trump has repeatedly disavowed Project 2025.

"Abroad, democratic movements will be irreparably jeopardized as Trump and his acolyte JD Vance kowtow to dictators like Vladimir Putin while turning their backs on our allies," the letter states.

A number of the Republicans who signed Monday's endorsement letter spoke at last week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, including Stephanie Grisham , who was one of Trump's press secretaries and a top aide to former first lady Melania Trump .

Trump has "no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth," Grisham said during her speech.

Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence , also signed the letter and spoke out against Trump at last week's convention.

"You're not voting for a Democrat. You're voting for democracy," Troye said. "You're not betraying our party. You're standing up for our country."

In the letter, the group urged moderate Republicans and independents in battleground states to help elect Harris.

"We're heartfully calling on these friends, colleagues, neighbors and family members to take a brave stand once more, to vote for leaders that will strive for consensus, not chaos; that will work to unite, not divide; that will make our country and our children proud."

While the Harris campaign has not responded to the endorsement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung called the letter "hilarious."

"Nobody knows who these people are," Cheung said in a statement . "They would rather see the country burn down than to see President Trump successfully return to the White House."