CNN
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Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Jeff Duncan said Monday he will vote for President Joe Biden in November, arguing that former President Donald Trump is “disqualified by his conduct and character.”
“Unlike Trump, I’ve been a Republican all my life. This November, I’m going to vote for a sane person with whom I disagree on policies toward criminal defendants who have no moral compass,” said CNN contributor. Duncan said in an opinion piece published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Duncan told CNN’s Laura Coates on Monday night that Trump is “not a Republican” and “doesn’t represent our brand.”
“Donald Trump is not a Republican. He doesn’t represent our brand. He doesn’t represent our future. At this point he’s a terrible human being and we’re going to hold him in court.” We are watching it unfold hour by hour,” Duncan said. “It’s time to move on. If we’re going to bounce back as a party and truly get back to what we need to do, and that’s conservative but not angry, crazy, lying, we… should immediately turn the page on Donald Trump.”
In an op-ed titled “Why I Vote for Biden and Why Other Republicans Should, Too,” Duncan outlined the reasons for his decision not to support the Republican candidate. While Duncan acknowledged that Biden’s age is a concern for many and that his “progressive policies are not to the taste of conservatives,” Trump’s second term could lead to a Republican advance. He argued that there was no other alternative left.
“The Republican Party will never be rebuilt until we emerge from the Trump era, and conservative (but not angry) Republicans like me have no choice but to pull the lever for Biden,” Duncan wrote. “In its place is another word from Trump, a man disqualified by his conduct and character.”Headlines revolve around allegations of improper record-keeping of payments to cover up an affair with an adult film star The hush money trial is causing a huge uproar.
Duncan criticized members of his own party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, saying, “It’s great to see more Republicans lining up behind former President Donald Trump. It’s unfortunate,” he said. “This idea is completely wrong,” he added.
Mr. Duncan also said that Bill Barr, who once served as the president’s attorney general and has since emerged as one of Mr. Trump’s most prominent critics, recently said he would vote for the Republican nominee rather than Mr. Biden in November. I criticized him for what he said.
“Ironically, Barr, who served as attorney general until December 2020, witnessed President Trump’s ability to do damage. “Mr. Barr’s declaration that he had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud infuriated his bosses and set off a chain of events that ended on January 6,” Duncan wrote.
“Trump showed us what kind of person he is. We should believe in him. There’s no way he could change at 77 years old,” Duncan later added.
President Trump’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election have led to Duncan and other Georgia Republican election officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, claiming fraud in the state. He objected to Trump’s claims.
Duncan was president of the Georgia Senate when Rudy Giuliani and other Trump supporters spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election at a gathering of Georgia lawmakers. ” he said.
Last year, he testified before a Fulton County grand jury that later indicted Trump and others on charges of trying to overturn the state’s election. President Trump has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges he faces.
After the 2020 election, Duncan told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he was “disgusted” by Trump’s attacks on Kemp and Raffensperger, both elected in the Peach State. He spoke about the threats that officials are receiving.
“All of us in this position have increased security around us and our families. This is not an American thing, it is not the essence of democracy, but it is the reality right now. We will continue to work. Governor Kemp, Brad Raffensperger, and I all voted and campaigned for the president, but unfortunately we did not win in Georgia. But that doesn’t change our job description,” Duncan said.
In 2021, Duncan announced that he would not run for reelection in 2022, explaining that he would instead focus on reforming the Republican Party.
“We have to move forward as a Republican Party, we have to, and this is our first step. … I think Georgians will vote against Donald Trump,” Duncan said. said on “Laura Coates Live.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Jack Forrest and Rashard Rose contributed to this report.
