More bad news for Donald Trump
The National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) has come out swinging in the hours before Election Day. The retired generals, admirals, senior noncommissioned officers, ambassadors, and senior civilian national security leaders who make up NSL4A are of diverse political ideologies but “are trained to make sober, rational decisions.” As a result, they issued a statement on Monday to “proudly endorse Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States.”
Their bold statement frames this election as a choice between serious leadership and vengeful impulsiveness, or democracy and authoritarianism. Harris is the only candidate who stands—and firmly so—for democracy, the rule of law, and the Constitution. On the other hand, NSL4A describes Donald Trump as someone who “threatens our democratic system,” “denigrates our great country,” and rejects “the American ideal that our leaders should reflect the will of the people,” thereby making him “unfit to be Commander-in-Chief.”
As the NSL4A signers point out, they did “not make such an assessment lightly.” From their vast experience in government, the signers know that “effective leadership requires in-depth knowledge, careful deliberation, understanding of your adversaries, and empathy for those you lead.” Harris embodies these qualities, and, unlike Trump, she does not rush to fire someone simply for disagreeing with her. NSL4A is sending a clear last-minute message to voters, that this election is not just about which political party has the best policies, but about choosing between democracy and multi-level misery.
As we head to the polls on Tuesday, NSL4A’s message should weigh heavily at the ballot box. The future of our nation’s democracy is at stake, so when a group of people who have dedicated their careers—and, in some cases, risked their lives—to protecting our national security steps up to issue this rare and urgent endorsement, we should take them seriously.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month