Charlie Sykes, among the most prominent conservative voices in Wisconsin for over two decades, has publicly announced he will vote for Kamala Harris this upcoming elections.
"I don't think this is a normal election, so I'm doing something that I have to admit would have been a big surprise to me even a few years ago," said Sykes in a recent interview. "Donald Trump cannot be allowed back in the White House, and the only way to prevent that from happening is to support Kamala Harris.
Sykes, now a political commentator in MSNBC, has rejected the Trump brand of the Republican party since 2016 after clashing with the then-presidential candidate during an interview ahead of the Wisconsin primaries. He says that rather than his conservative principles, it's the Republican party that has changed under Trump.
"This is not about whether I agree on tax policy or agree on student loan debt, which I don't," Sykes said in an interview with local outlet TMJ4. "It's about whether we are going to have fidelity to democratic norms. It's whether or not you are going to be a decent person or someone who is going to tear apart the fabric of this country."
Sykes now joins a list of prominent conservatives with ties to the Republican party who have endorsed Harris in the past months. Former Senator Jeff Flake, former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as well as high-profile local voices such as former Oklahoma Rep. and Heritage Foundation co-founder Mickey Edwards.
Cheney recently campaigned in Harris' favor in Ripon, Wisconsin, the place where the Republican party is considered to have been born. She urged voters to "reject the depraved cruelty" embodied by Trump's project. "We cannot turn away from this truth," said Cheney, who largely departed from the Republican party following the January 6 assault on the Capitol.
Cheney made reference to the incidents, recalling that Trump "did not condemn them." "That's who Donald Trump is," added Cheney, who also served as vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the attack and supported impeachment efforts against him. Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, also announced he will be voting for the Democratic candidate.
Jeff Flake, on his end, took to X, formerly Twitter, to explain his recent support in a written statement and a video, where he described himself as a "conservative Republican," but still thought the Vice President is the best person to be commander-in-chief come January.
"I served with Kamala in the United States Senate. I've also served with Tim in the United States House of Representatives," Flake said in a video posted on the social media platform, referencing vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. "I know them. I know firsthand their fine character and love of country."
"I want to support a presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country, rather than one who divides us," Flake said in the video. "One who represents the ideals of a new generation of leadership, not based on grievances of the past but hope for the future."
Flake has been a longtime critic of Trump and his ideas. He previously endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020 and served as the ambassador to Turkey under Biden before stepping down earlier this month.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
