Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Bush and Romney won't support Trump in 2020, while some GOP officials consider voting for Biden

Bush and Romney won't support Trump in 2020, while some GOP officials consider voting for Biden

Some top Republicans are getting cold feet about President Trump's leadership, and others are even considering voting for Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump may be losing the support of members of his own party already, with some GOP officials considering a vote for Joe Biden.

Sooner than expected, growing numbers of big Republican names are debating how transparent to be about their decision not to back his re-election, or may even vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden.

According to The New York Times, Former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitt Romney won't support Trump's re-election, Jeb Bush isn't sure how he'll vote, and Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain, is almost certain to support Biden but is "unsure how public to be about it because one of her sons is eying a run for office."

Former Republican leaders like the former Speakers Paul Ryan and John Boehner are still tight-lipped about who they'll vote for, and some Republicans are reportedly weighing their options between backing a third-party contender or openly endorsing Biden, risking the ire of Trump. Some say they'd possibly prefer a Biden victory if the GOP managed to preserve its Senate majority.

Dissenters are reportedly feeling a renewed urgency due to Trump's incendiary response to the protests against police brutality and a mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to anonymous sources. Retired military leaders, typically private about their personal political views, have grown increasingly vocal about unease with the president's leadership, but are still undecided about embracing an opponent.

Those considering Biden include unlikely surprises — including Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida, who has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates over the years and served as President Bush's ambassador to the Vatican. Rooney reportedly hasn't voted for a Democrat in decades. But, according to The Times, Rooney is considering supporting Biden, "in part because Trump is 'driving us all crazy' and his handling of the virus led to a death toll that 'didn't have to happen.'"

Eighty-nine former defense officials said they were "alarmed" by Trump's threat to use the military to end unrest, and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued an intense rebuke of Trump, saying he's turning Americans against each other during nationwide protests. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has also said that she is "struggling" with whether to vote for Trump.

"This fall, it's time for new leadership in this country — Republican, Democrat or independent," William McRaven, the retired Navy admiral who directed the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, was quoted saying. "President Trump has shown he doesn't have the qualities necessary to be a good commander in chief."

While many of the big names mentioned by The Times did not vote for Trump in 2016, the lack of support is more meaningful when it concerns an incumbent president and his shared agenda with Senate leaders than when no ongoing conservative agenda would be affected.

But, The Times notes that polls today indicate Republicans generally are behind the president, and far more GOP elected officials are publicly backing Trump than did four years ago, including steadfast supporters such as Republican leaders like Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

John Kelly, Trump's former chief of staff and a retired Marine general, wouldn't disclose who had his vote, but he did say that he wished "we had some additional choices."

And while some Republicans are unlikely to go public, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware (one of Biden's closest allies in Congress) has become an emissary of sorts to Republican lawmakers. According to Coons, a number of GOP senators, regardless of what they say in public, won't vote for Trump in privacy.

"What he's always been is not scary," Rooney was quoted as saying. "A lot of people that voted for President Trump did so because they did not like Hillary Clinton. I don't see that happening with Joe Biden — how can you not like Joe Biden?"
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Spain Scraps F-35 Jet Deal as Trump Pushes for More NATO Spending
US Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Exhibits Amid Legal and Victim Challenges
France Faces Largest Wildfire Since 1949 as Blazes Rage Across Aude
French Senate Report Alleges State Cover‑Up in Perrier ‘Natural Mineral Water’ Scandal
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
×