Former Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump in 2021 — formally endorsed Vice President Harris’s bid for president on Thursday.
In a statement released by the Harris campaign, Upton pointed to Trump’s behavior on Jan. 6, 2021, and called the former president “unfit” to lead again.
“That day was a tragedy for our democracy and Donald Trump is wrong to claim that everything he did was ‘totally appropriate’ when he directly jeopardized the peaceful transition from one administration to the next. He is unfit to serve as commander in chief again,” Upton wrote in his statement.
He said he had never voted for a Democrat for president before but was proud to cast his ballot for Harris this cycle.
“I don’t believe I’ve missed a vote in Michigan in the 52 years I’ve been eligible to vote. And I’ve not been afraid to split my ballot from time to time but have never voted for a Democrat for president, until now,” Upton wrote in the statement.
“It is often said that, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ And, let’s face it—the whole world seems on fire today.”
Upton’s endorsement is the latest GOP display of support for Harris in recent weeks. He noted that he joins more than 30 former Republican members of Congress who “have now publicly stated that they will not support the former president and will vote for VP Harris.”
“I am proud to add my name to that list, as I have already cast my ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris to be our next president of the United States,” Upton said.
“The American public wants their elected officials to solve problems—not spin in circles in stalemates. I am confident Vice President Harris will work to bring people together, strengthen our economy, and get things done for all Americans.”
Former Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), two other House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, have publicly supported Harris and have campaigned for her as the election nears.
The Harris campaign has also touted the backing of more than 100 former GOP national security officials; more than 200 alumni who worked under former President George Bush, former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah); more than a dozen former aides from the Reagan administration; and numerous officials from the Trump administration who have come out in support of the Democratic ticket.