Forbes notes that “A group of 73 former U.S. National Security officials who served under GOP administrations, including former CIA and FBI chiefs, endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden in a joint statement on Thursday, joining the growing number of prominent Republicans to depart from their party for the 2020 election.” The letter is a devastating critique of Mr. Trump’s foreign policy as well as a condemnation of Mr. Trump’s governing style. It reads, in part:
“Through his actions and his rhetoric, Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behavior that renders him unfit to serve as President.
“For the following reasons, we have concluded that Donald Trump has failed our country and that Vice President Joe Biden should be elected the next President of the United States.”
I was actually quite surprised at the list of signatories which includes some unapologetic hawks who supported the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan Wars. The letter is careful to note that many of the signatories do not necessarily support Mr. Biden’s presumed foreign policy and that the letter is not simply a repudiation of any specific policies.
I do not harbor any illusions that the letter will have any significant impact on Mr. Trump, but it is a remarkable breach of traditional foreign policy protocol. Foreign policy wonks typically avoid partisan politics to assure that they can never be accused of working on behalf of an enemy. I am nonetheless certain that foreign diplomats will take the letter very seriously and the letter seriously erodes the credibility of Mr. Trump and all of his foreign policy advisers.
World Politics News 
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