We are profoundly concerned about our nation's security and standing in the world under the leadership of Donald Trump. The President has demonstrated that he is dangerously unfit to serve another term.

A Statement by Former Republican National Security Officials

The statement below was issued by over 70 former senior Republican national security officials on August 20, 2020, and 60 additional senior officials have now signed on, including many who served in the Trump Administration.  Since its release, Donald Trump has continued to demonstrate that he is unfit to serve as president, reportedly calling Americans who served in our armed forces “losers” and “suckers,” admitting that he deliberately downplayed the threat from the coronavirus, and, alarmingly, now refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.

We are former national security officials who served during the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and/or Donald Trump, or as Republican Members of Congress. We are profoundly concerned about the course of our nation under the leadership of Donald Trump. Through his actions and his rhetoric, Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behavior that renders him unfit to serve as President.

For the following reasons, we have concluded that Donald Trump has failed our country and that Vice President Joe Biden should be elected the next President of the United States.

  1. Donald Trump has gravely damaged America’s role as a world leader. Trump has disgraced America’s global reputation and undermined our nation’s moral and diplomatic influence. He has called NATO “obsolete,” branded Europe a “foe,” mocked the leaders of America’s closest friends, and threatened to terminate longstanding US alliances. Other global leaders, friends and foes alike, view him as unreliable, unstable, and unworthy of respect.
  2. Donald Trump has shown that he is unfit to lead during a national crisis. Instead of rallying the American people and the world to confront the coronavirus, Trump has spent the past half year spreading misinformation, undermining public health experts, attacking state and local officials, and wallowing in self-pity. He has demonstrated far greater concern about the fate of his reelection than the health of the American people.
  3. Donald Trump has solicited foreign influence and undermined confidence in our presidential elections. Trump publicly asked Russian president Vladimir Putin to assist his 2016 campaign, called on Chinese president Xi Jinping to “start an investigation” into his current political opponent, and pressured the president of Ukraine to act against his opponent. Citing exaggerated claims of voter fraud, he has challenged the integrity of this year’s election, even suggesting that it be postponed.
  4. Donald Trump has aligned himself with dictators and failed to stand up for American values. Trump has regularly praised the actions of dictators and human rights abusers. He proclaimed his “love” and “great respect” for North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un, endorsed “brilliant leader” Xi Jinping’s move to serve as China’s president for life, repeatedly sided with Vladimir Putin against our own intelligence community, and pronounced himself a “big fan” of Turkish president Recep Erdogan despite his crackdown on democracy.
  5. Donald Trump has disparaged our armed forces, intelligence agencies, and diplomats. Trump has attacked Gold Star families, scoffed at American prisoners of war, interfered in the military justice system, and embroiled our military in domestic politics. He has ridiculed US intelligence agencies and falsely branded our nation’s diplomats as the “deep state.”
  6. Donald Trump has undermined the rule of law. Trump has compromised the independence of the Department of Justice, repeatedly attacked federal judges, and punished government officials who have sought to uphold the law. To protect himself from accountability, he has fired officials who launched investigations or testified against him, threatened whistleblowers, dangled pardons as incentives to stay silent, and blocked prison time for a political crony convicted of lying on his behalf. He has impugned journalists investigating his misconduct and has repeatedly denounced the press as the “enemy of the people.”
  7. Donald Trump has dishonored the office of the presidency. Trump engages in childish name-calling, mocks the disabled, belittles women, persistently lies, peddles baseless conspiracy theories, and continually embarrasses Americans in the eyes of the world.
  8. Donald Trump has divided our nation and preached a dark and pessimistic view of America. Trump consistently seeks to incite political, racial, and ethnic divisions, weakening our nation and delighting our adversaries. In contrast to Reagan’s vision of America as a “shining city on a hill,” Trump speaks of “American carnage,” pits Americans against each other, and stokes fears that “angry mobs” and “anarchists” are destroying our country.
  9. Donald Trump has attacked and vilified immigrants to our country. Trump routinely denigrates immigrants and inflames prejudices as he seeks support for his reelection. Despite America’s legacy as a nation of immigrants, he has demonized Americans who come from other countries, even telling members of Congress whose families immigrated to the United States to “go back” to the “crime-infested places” from which they came.
  10. Donald Trump has imperiled America’s security by mismanaging his national security team. Trump has dismissed or replaced — often by tweet — the secretaries of State, Defense, and Homeland Security, the Attorney General, the Directors of National Intelligence and the FBI, three National Security Advisors, and other senior officials in critical national security positions, many because they refused to cover for his misdeeds or demonstrate sufficient personal loyalty.

While we – like all Americans – had hoped that Donald Trump would govern wisely, he has disappointed millions of voters who put their faith in him and has demonstrated that he is dangerously unfit to serve another term.

In contrast, we believe Joe Biden has the character, experience, and temperament to lead this nation. We believe he will restore the dignity of the presidency, bring Americans together, reassert America’s role as a global leader, and inspire our nation to live up to its ideals.

While some of us hold policy positions that differ from those of Joe Biden and his party, the time to debate those policy differences will come later. For now, it is imperative that we stop Trump’s assault on our nation’s values and institutions and reinstate the moral foundations of our democracy.

To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him.


  • Adm. Steve Abbot
    Fmr Dep Homeland Security Advisor
  • Kenneth Adelman
    Fmr Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • Amb. Peter Allgeier
    Fmr Deputy US Trade Representative
  • Mary Catherine Andrews
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Richard Armitage
    Fmr Deputy Secretary of State
  • Christopher Barton
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Nancy Bearg
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • John Bellinger
    Fmr Legal Adviser, Dept of State
  • Adm. Kenneth Bernard
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Mark Bitterman
    Fmr Special Asst to the Secretary of Defense
  • Amb. Robert Blackwill
    Fmr Deputy National Security Advisor
  • Christian Bonat
    Fmr Dep General Counsel, Defense Dept
  • Amb. Richard Boucher
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Amb. Charles Bowers
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • Bertram Braun
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Amb. Peter Bridges
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • Douglas Brook
    Fmr Asst Secretary of the Army
  • Linton Brooks
    Fmr Under Secretary of Energy
  • Greg Brower
    Fmr Asst Director of the FBI
  • Kara Bue
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Amb. Richard Burt
    Fmr US Ambassador to Germany
  • Sally Canfield
    Fmr Dep Chief of Staff, Dept of Homeland Security
  • Victor Cha
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Amb. Jack Chow
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Thomas Christensen
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Eliot Cohen
    Fmr Counselor of the Dept of State
  • Joseph Collins
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of Defense
  • Heather Conley
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Bret Coulson
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Chester Crocker
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Patrick Cronin
    Fmr Asst Administrator, USAID
  • Amb. Sada Cumber
    Fmr US Special Envoy to the OIC​
  • Mike Donley
    Fmr Secretary of the Air Force
  • Raymond DuBois
    Fmr Acting Under Secretary of the Army
  • Lewis Dunn
    Fmr Asst Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • Amb. Eric Edelman
    Fmr Under Secretary of Defense
  • Gary Edson
    Fmr Deputy National Security Advisor
  • Richard Falkenrath
    Fmr Dep Asst to the President
  • Amb. Julie Finley
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • Carl Ford
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Aaron Friedberg
    Fmr Dep Asst to the Vice President
  • William Gaches
    Fmr Director of Counterterrorism, NSA
  • Janice Gardner
    Fmr Asst Secretary of the Treasury
  • John Gardner
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Amb. James Glassman
    Fmr Under Secretary of State
  • Amb. Jon Glassman
    Fmr Dep National Security Advisor to the Vice President
  • David Gordon
    Fmr Director, State Dept, Policy Planning
  • Colleen Graffy
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Michael Green
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • Sen. Chuck Hagel
    Fmr Secretary of Defense and US Senator
  • Christopher Hankin
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretry of State
  • Mark Harvey
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Gen. Michael Hayden
    Fmr Director of the CIA and the NSA
  • Amb. Carla Hills
    Fmr US Trade Representative
  • Seth Hurwitz
    Fmr Counsel, President's Intelligence Oversight Board
  • Ash Jain
    Fmr Member, State Dept Policy Planning
  • Les Janka
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of Defense
  • Neil Joeck
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Amb. Richard Kauzlarich
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • James Kelly
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Donald Kerr
    Fmr Princ Dep Director of National Intelligence
  • Rep. Jim Kolbe
    Fmr Member of Congress
  • David Kramer
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Stephen Krasner
    Fmr Director, State Dept Policy Planning
  • Ken Krieg
    Fmr Under Secretary of Defense
  • James Kunder
    Fmr Deputy Administrator, USAID
  • Amb. Frank Lavin
    Fmr Under Secretary of Commerce
  • Rep. Jim Leach
    Fmr Member of Congress
  • Bruce Lemkin
    Fmr Dep Under Secretary of the Air Force
  • Michael Leiter
    Fmr Director, National Counterterrorism Ctr
  • Peter Lichtenbaum
    Fmr Asst Secretary of Commerce
  • Amb. Winston Lord
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • James Loy
    Fmr Dep Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Peter Madigan
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary State
  • Amb. Steven Mann
    Fmr Prin Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • Col. John McDonald
    Fmr Dep Under Secretary of the Army
  • Bryan McGrath
    Former US Navy Officer
  • Amb. Michael McKinley
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • Christopher Mellon
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of Defense
  • David Merkel
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of State
  • John Mitnick
    Fmr General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security
  • Allen Moore
    Fmr Under Secretary of Commerce
  • Alberto Mora
    Fmr Gen Counsel, Dept of the Navy
  • Holly Morrow
    Fmr Director, NSC Staff
  • Kenneth Mortensen
    Fmr Assoc Dep Attorney General
  • Virginia Mulberger
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Alden Munson
    Fmr Dep Director of National Intelligence
  • Amb. John Negroponte
    Fmr Director of National Intelligence, and Fmr Deputy Secretary of State
  • Elizabeth Neumann
    Fmr Asst Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Sean O’Keefe
    Fmr Secretary of the Navy and NASA Administrator
  • Douglas Paal
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • Larry Pfeiffer
    Fmr Chief of Staff, CIA
  • William Piekney
    Fmr Chief of Station, CIA
  • Daniel Price
    Fmr Dep National Security Advisor
  • Sen. Larry Pressler
    Fmr US Senator
  • Clyde Prestowitz
    Fmr Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce
  • Victor Reis
    Fmr Director, Defense Adv Research Projects Agency
  • Paul Rosenzweig
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Nicholas Rostow
    Fmr NSC Legal Adviser
  • Kori Schake
    Fmr Prin Dep Director, State Dept Policy Planning
  • Wayne Schroeder
    Fmr Dep Under Secretary of Defense
  • Amb. Gregory Schulte
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • Robert Shanks
    Fmr Dep Asst Attorney General
  • Amb. Thomas Shannon
    Fmr Under Secretary of State
  • Rep. Christopher Shays
    Fmr Member of Congress
  • John Simon
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • Stephen Slick
    Fmr Senior Director, NSC Staff
  • Amb. Mark Storella
    Fmr US Ambassador
  • Timothy Stratford
    Fmr Asst US Trade Representative
  • Amb. William Taft
    Fmr Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • Shirin Tahir-Kheli
    Fmr Special Asst to the President
  • Miles Taylor
    Fmr Chief of Staff, Dept of Homeland Security
  • William Tobey
    Fmr Dep Administrator, Nat Nuclear Security Admin
  • Jack Tomarchio
    Fmr Princ Dep Under Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Olivia Troye
    Fmr Special Advisor to the Vice President
  • Amb. Robert Tuttle
    Fmr US Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • John Veroneau
    Fmr Dep US Trade Representative
  • Michael Vickers
    Fmr Under Secretary of Defense
  • Ken Wainstein
    Fmr Homeland Security Advisor
  • David Waller
    Fmr Asst Secretary of Energy
  • Thomas Ward
    Fmr Director of Threats, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
  • Sen. John Warner
    Fmr US Senator
  • Matthew Waxman
    Fmr Prin Dep Director, State Dept Policy Planning
  • William Webster
    Fmr Director of the CIA and FBI
  • Wendell Willkie II
    Fmr General Counsel, Dept of Commerce
  • John Woodworth
    Fmr Dep Asst Secretary of Defense
  • John Wolf
    Fmr Asst Secretary of State
  • Dov Zakheim
    Fmr Under Secretary of Defense
  • Philip Zelikow
    Fmr Counselor of the Dept of State

If you are a national security official who worked for a Republican administration and are supporting Vice President Biden in November, we urge you to join us. Please get in touch at [email protected]