More than 200 retired military leaders endorse Trump as ‘proven leader’

A group of more than 200 retired military officials endorsed President Trump’s reelection bid in an open letter Monday that accused the Democratic Party of being a home for left-wing radicals.

Fox News reported that 235 former U.S. military officers including retired Air Force generals and Navy admirals wrote that the U.S.’s “historic way of life is at stake” due to the “Democratic Party… welcoming…socialists and Marxists” into its ranks.

“As senior leaders of America’s military, we took an oath to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” their letter read. “At present, our country is now confronted with enemies here and abroad, as well as a once-in-a-century pandemic. As retired military officers, we believe that Donald J. Trump has been tested as few other presidents have and is the proven leader to confront these dangers.”

Some of those who signed Monday’s letter included military leaders who had formerly endorsed the president in some fashion, including Ronny Jackson (R), the president’s former White House physician and current GOP candidate for the U.S. House in Texas.

The Trump campaign touted the letter in a statement, pointing to the president’s record on veterans’ issues and attacking his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.

“After years of neglect from the Obama-Biden administration, our service members and veterans have finally found a strong advocate in President Trump,” said the Trump campaign. “The Trump administration has rebuilt the military, completely overhauled the Department of Veterans Affairs, and launched groundbreaking initiatives to assist military families and prevent veteran suicide. In contrast, Joe Biden’s record on the military and veterans is one of failure: debilitating budget cuts, failed foreign policy decisions, and an inability to provide our nation’s heroes with the quality health care they deserve.”

The letter comes as the president has faced criticism from Biden and others over comments first reported by The Atlantic in which he allegedly disparaged American service members interred at a World War I cemetery in France, remarks the president has forcefully denied making.

A poll of U.S. adults released on Sunday by Reuters/Ipsos found that a majority believe the former vice president holds members of the armed forces in higher regard than the president does.