Former GOP congressman among those supporting Democratic presidential ticket

A group of former state GOP politicians, staffers and consultants announced Thursday that they are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for President.

Many members of the group are well-known in state GOP circles and say they hope to move enough other Republicans to vote Democratic to make a difference in the swing state of Michigan.  

Former Congressman Dave Trott, who represented southeast Michigan in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2019, said Republican nominee Donald Trump was a disappointment as president and poses a danger if returned to the White House.

“He’s emotionally, intellectually, psychologically and, of course, morally unfit to be president,” Trott said during an online news conference.

Trott said he voted for Trump in 2016 but then for President Joe Biden four years later. Trott said the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election result confirmed his judgment.

“Now Trump is more dangerous than ever,” Trott said. “He promised to be a dictator on day one. He’s called for the termination of our Constitution. Let me repeat, a candidate for president in this country has called for terminating our Constitution.”

Trott was referring to a December 2022 post on his social media site Truth Social complaining about the outcome of the 2020 election.

“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump said. Trump later tried to walk it back, but did not remove the post.

Members of the Michigan Republicans for Harris group say their differences with the Democratic nominee are minimal compared their fears about a second Trump presidency.

Long-time GOP strategist and advisor Bill Nowling said Trump mismanaged the economy and foreign policy when he was in office and on January 6th showed he is a threat to a stable democracy.

“We’ve been down this road before,” said Nowling. “We know where it ends. It ends in tyranny. It ends in protests. It ends in mobs taking over our illustrious capitol.”

The announcement of the Republican group’s support for Harris coincided with Trump’s campaign visit to Saginaw. The region is considered key to winning the battleground state of Michigan.               

Trump’s Michigan campaign spokesperson dismissed the announcement.

“Former Rep. Trott hasn’t been a Republican for years, and frankly no one cares what he says,” said Victoria LaCivita in an email. “Michigan families are worried about paying their bills, putting food on the table, and saving for their kids’ college tuition.

Any ‘Republican’ campaigning for another four years of unfettered illegal immigration and rising prices under Kamala Harris is neither Republican nor worth listening to.”