Politics
Conservative Judge J. Michael Luttig Endorses Kamala Harris, Condemns Trump as Threat to Democracy
Retired federal appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig, a respected conservative legal figure appointed by President George H.W. Bush, has publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election. This marks the first time Luttig, who has served under two Republican administrations, has voted for a Democrat. He describes former President Donald Trump as an existential threat to American democracy, citing Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election as a key factor in his decision.
Luttig’s endorsement is particularly significant given his role in advising then-Vice President Mike Pence to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. He has since become a vocal critic of Trump, emphasizing that the stakes in the 2024 election are as high as during the nation’s founding. Luttig argues that Trump’s influence has caused deep divisions within the Republican Party, distancing it from its Reagan-Bush era principles.
Luttig’s support for Harris is rooted in his belief that the 2024 election transcends traditional party lines. He acknowledges that his policy views differ from Harris’s but insists that the preservation of democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law must take precedence. He warns that the continued spread of falsehoods about the 2020 election has eroded public trust in the electoral system, particularly among younger Americans.
This endorsement adds Luttig to a growing list of Republicans who have crossed party lines to support Harris. Other notable figures include former Congress members Joe Walsh, Barbara Comstock, and Adam Kinzinger. Luttig’s decision, as he explains, is driven by a moral imperative to do what is right, even if it means breaking from his party.