Ken Adelman -- Ronald Reagan Alum
Why he supports Harris-Walz in 2024
I was lucky to be with President Reagan during his superpower summits with Mikhail Gorbachev. I witnessed close-up the President’s strength and integrity, and can say with absolute assurance that Ronald Reagan would never support Donald Trump, a man marked by weakness and dishonesty.
At the Reagan Presidential Library last June, I said that anybody who admires Ronald Reagan could not support Donald Trump. Now I would add: And must support Kamala Harris. I said this not as a Democrat – for sure, no – but as an American. As one who, unlike too many ex-colleagues in Republican administrations, puts country above party.
Three reasons stand out. First, foreign policy. Reagan was tough with “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” while Trump is weak telling Putin to do “whatever the hell” he wants with European countries. Reagan championed NATO; Trump denigrates NATO and, like Putin, would like it to end. Reagan admired and worked daily with democratic allies; Trump only admires dictators –in particular Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong Un –three most oppressive and disgusting leaders today. Reagan staunchly backed freedom fighters, most notably today, those in Ukraine; Trump can’t say whether he wants Russia or Ukraine to win that war of aggression and brutality. Reagan was a Churchillian figure; Trump is a Putin puppet.
Second, peaceful transfer of power. Let me simply quote Reagan’s first words as President of the United States (January 20, 1981, a bit after noon): “To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-4-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.” For the first time in now more than two centuries, Donald Trump opposed the peaceful transfer of power. Reagan’s “miracle” became American’s nightmare, as Trump advocated violence and resisted any transfer of power on January 6th, 2020.
Third, decency, honesty and kindness. Reagan was a deeply religious person. I can imagine him asking Evangelical supporters just what traits of Jesus Christ they see in Donald Trump – his honesty? his kindness? his help to strangers? his modesty?
I am proud to support Kamala Harris. And I firmly believe Ronald Reagan would be, too.
Ken Adelman was a U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and Director of the U.S. Arms Control Agency under President Reagan.