Alberto Gonzales, Bush’s Attorney General, supports Kamala Harris and warns of Donald Trump’s “threat to the rule of law”

Washington — Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Vice President supported on Thursday Kamala Harris for the presidency, in a commentary on the “serious threat” Donald Trump represents a threat to the rule of law.

“As the United States approaches a crucial election, I cannot stand by and watch as Donald Trump – possibly the greatest threat to the rule of law in a generation – eyes a return to the White House,” Gonzales wrote in an op-ed in Politico Magazine. “That is why, even though I am a Republican, I have decided to support Kamala Harris for president.”

Gonzales, who served as attorney general in the George W. Bush administration and also served as White House counsel, drew on his experience to argue that Harris is “best suited, capable and determined to unite us in a way that is consistent with the rule of law,” citing her appearances at the Democratic National Convention last month and on the debate stage this week.

The former attorney general, who resigned in 2007 amid allegations he lied to Congress and a scandal surrounding the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, argued that the “character of the person we elect in November” was of particular importance because members of Congress had proven themselves “spectacularly incapable or unwilling to check the abuse of executive power.”

He pointed out that while the Supreme Court has the ability to check the power of the President, the recent Supreme Court ruling in the Presidential immunity case “could allow a president to take official actions for personal, self-serving reasons.”

“Power is intoxicating, and given Trump's rhetoric and behavior, it seems unlikely that he would respect presidential power in all cases; more likely, he would abuse it for personal and political purposes rather than on behalf of the American people,” he added.

Gonzales cited the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as one of the “most telling” examples of Trump's conduct, saying the former president “failed to do his duty” that day. The former attorney general also pointed to the convictions and criminal charges Trump faces, saying they “demonstrate that Trump is someone who has consistently failed to act in accordance with the rule of law” and raised doubts about whether he “has the integrity and character to exercise the power of the office of president responsibly within the law.”

Regarding Harris, Gonzalez said Americans do not know exactly how she will govern. A vote for vice president would require Americans to have “confidence in her character and judgment.” He added, however, that Harris has sworn “loyalty to the rule of law” in her role as prosecutor and California's attorney general – a record that shows “a clear commitment to the enforcement of justice.”

The approval follows a series of prominent Republican officials have supported Harris in recent days, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, his daughter.