The Republicans Crossing Party Lines and Voting for Harris Over Trump

With the general election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump upon us, endorsements from high-profile figures hold much significance. Especially those that involve crossing party lines. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican and the former Governor of California, spoke out on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), endorsing Harris over Trump. He joins a growing number of Republicans who have decided to vote Democrat this November.

Here is a list of the prominent Republicans crossing party lines and voting for Harris over Trump in the 2024 election: 

Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Actor and former Governor of California Schwarzenegger endorsed Democratic nominee Harris for President over his fellow Republican, Trump, in a lengthy social media post. Schwarzenegger said he does not typically give endorsements, as he doesn’t “trust most politicians,” but he understands why people want to know his opinions since he is “not just a celebrity,” but also a former Governor.

“To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a [sic] trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious,” he wrote. “And I will always be an American before I am a Republican. That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”

“I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do,” he elaborated. “You don’t recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.”

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

On Sept. 6, Former Vice President and influential Republican Dick Cheney released a statement announcing his endorsement of Harris for President. Speaking out against the Republican nominee, Cheney said that Trump can “never be trusted with power again.”

Cheney, who served as Vice President under President George W. Bush between 2001 and 2009, went on to say that American citizens have a “duty” to prioritize the nation over partisan politics.

“In our nation’s 248 year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in his statement. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him,” he continued, referencing the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Former Representative Liz Cheney

Dick Cheney’s endorsement came a week after his daughter, former Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney said that she’d vote for Harris.

“As a conservative and someone who believes in and cares deeply about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses—not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” Cheney said on Sept. 4 at a Sanford School of Public Policy event at Duke University in North Carolina.

Cheney served as vice-chair of the Jan. 6 committee and was one of two Republicans on the panel—something that Trump called to have her jailed for.

Former Representative Adam Kinzinger

Former Illinois Rep. and Republican Adam Kinzinger became a staunch critic of Trump after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and spoke about endorsing Harris on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) stage in Chicago in August. He encouraged other Republicans who wish to “defend democracy and decency” to do the same.

“I was a Republican for 12 years in Congress, and I still hold on to the label,” he said. “I know Kamala Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy, and she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country.”

Anthony Scaramucci

Anthony Scaramucci, the businessman who served as White House Director of Communications under Trump for 10 days in 2017, endorsed Harris, and has even said he is working alongside Harris on her campaign’s crypto policies.

“Kamala Harris is capable and has a great team,” he said in July, via a social media post.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan spoke at the DNC, arguing that he stands in front of the crowd “as an American” though he is a Republican too. He focused his speech on other Republicans who may be watching, saying that the “party is not civil or conservative. It’s chaotic and crazy.” Duncan referred to Trump as a “direct threat to democracy.”

“To my fellow Republicans at home that want to pivot back towards policy, empathy, and tone, you know the right thing to do. Now let’s have the courage to do it in November,” he said.

Former Senator Jeff Flake

Republican former Senator and Arizona representative Jeff Flake posted a statement to X on Sept. 29, announcing his support of the Harriz-Walz ticket, though he still calls himself a “conservative Republican.” He noted that he served with both Harris and Walz in Congress and that he knows “first hand” how much they love America.

“I want to support a Presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country rather than one who divides us,” he wrote. “In times like these, there is nothing more conservative than putting country over party.”

200 former Bush, McCain, and Romney staffers

More than 200 Republicans who worked for both Bush Presidents, the late Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Mitt Romney released an open letter in August, declaring endorsement of Harris. 

In their letter, which was first reported by USA Today, the former staff members wrote that they were reiterating the 2020 decision by George W. Bush, McCain, and Romney alumni to “warn” against re-electing Trump. Now, they are “reuniting” to endorse Harris in 2024. 

“Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected,” they wrote. “The alternative, however, is simply untenable.”

Alberto Gonzales

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales endorsed Harris in an opinion piece published by Politico on Sept. 12.

“As the United States approaches a critical election, I can’t sit quietly as Donald Trump—perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation—eyes a return to the White House,” he wrote, pointing specifically to the events of Jan. 6. “For that reason, though I’m a Republican, I’ve decided to support Kamala Harris for President.”

Former Congressman Denver Riggleman

Former Representative Denver Riggleman, who represented Virginia as a Republican, has endorsed Harris. In an appearance on Bloomberg TV on Aug. 9, Riggleman said: “What’s really going on is I think truth and facts need to be the baseline for this election. You can’t have an inveterate liar as President of the United States… It’s not about policy but the real reasons why Republicans should have the permission structure to vote for the Democratic ticket.”

Former Representative Fred Upton

Former Michigan Republican Congressman Fred Upton, who served for three decades in the House of Representatives, endorsed Harris on Oct. 24

“Watching Trump day after day, he's ignored the advice of many senior, respected Republicans to stay on the issues,” Upton told The Detroit News. “Instead, he's still talking about the election being stolen, trashing women left and right. He's just totally unhinged. We don't need this chaos. We need to move forward, and that's why I'm where I am.”

Upton retired in 2022 after voting to impeach Trump the year before.

Former New Hampshire Attorney General Tom Rath

Former New Hampshire Attorney General, Republican Tom Rath spoke to a local news station during the final week of October, stating that this is an “extraordinary moment in our history,” and explaining his endorsement of Harris.

"I think this is an election that completely oversteps any partisan identification," Rath said. "This is not a Republican vote or a Democratic vote. This is a vote that speaks to what we want ourselves to be and what we want our government to be."

Former New Hampshire Senator Gordon Humphrey

Former New Hampshire Sen. Gordon Humphrey also shared strong words against Trump.

“He's dangerous to our safety, dangerous to peace, dangerous to democracy and freedom,” Humphrey, who served two terms in the Senate from 1979-1990, said in the same local news interview with Rath. “I voted for Republicans for more than 50 years. I can't vote for Trump, as a father, as a grandfather, as a veteran, as a former U.S. Senator.”

Stephanie Grisham

Former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who also served as Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff, appeared at the DNC, where she shared that Harris “has [her] vote.”

At the convention, Grisham—who resigned after Jan 6.—took to the stage and said she felt  “very strongly” about speaking out.

“I love my country more than my party,” Grisham said. “Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people and she has my vote.”

Jimmy McCain

Jimmy McCain, son of former Arizona Senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, endorsed Harris in September, also stating that he had changed his voter registration to Democrat.

“She’ll bring everyone together. She'll bring that moderation, that bipartisanship that we've been missing for so long,” McCain told 12 News on Sept. 8, sharing that the Trump campaign’s conduct at Arlington National Cemetery was what instigated his Harris endorsement.

Senator Robert Cowles

State Senator for Wisconsin’s 2nd District, Republican Robert Cowles called Trump a “totalitarian” in an interview with Rational Revolution on Oct. 24, and stated he would be voting for Harris. 

Cowles said he is “ready” for the blowback of publicly announcing his decision. “We have to make a change here and Trump has to be defeated and we have to protect the Constitution and the country will go on, even with some liberal things that Harris might do,” he said.

Mayor John Giles

John Giles, Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona, shared his endorsement of Harris in an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic in July. Giles has been Mayor of the third largest city in Arizona, a notable swing state in the upcoming election, since 2014.

“The Republican Party with Trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, away from focusing on our fundamental freedoms,” Giles wrote in the op-ed. He went on to argue that Trump did not support Arizona cities and that Harris is the “competent, just, and fair leader” that the country “deserves."

John Negroponte

Former Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush, John Negroponte announced his support for Harris in a September letter signed by over 100 former national security officials from Republican Administrations and former Republican members of Congress.

In the letter, the signatories wrote that they “expect to disagree with Kamala Harris on many domestic and foreign policy issues,” but they still “believe she possesses the essential qualities to serve as President and Donald Trump does not.” 

William Webster

William Webster, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, was another  signatory of the letter with Negroponte. 

The letter also said that they “firmly oppose the election of Donald Trump,” arguing that as President he “promoted daily chaos in government, praised our enemies and undermined our allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans.”

Olivia Troye

Olivia Troye, former homeland security and counterterrorism advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence, also signed the letter with Webster and Negroponte, endorsing Harris.

Beyond that, Troye—who left the Trump-led White House in 2020—spoke at the DNC. There, she urged fellow Republicans to vote for Harris.

“To my fellow Republicans: you aren't voting for a Democrat, you're voting for democracy,” she said. “You aren't betraying your party, you're standing up for our country.” 

Troye also wrote an opinion piece for MSNBC in which she called herself a “lifelong Republican,” but added that for President, there is “only one option: Vice President Kamala Harris.”