Alberto Gonzales supports Kamala Harris for president

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Alberto Gonzaleswho served as former president George W. Bush's Attorney General, Vice President Kamala Harris in an opinion piece on Politico on Thursday.

In the same comment, Gonzales described the former president Donald Trump “perhaps the greatest threat to the rule of law in a generation.” Gonzales wrote:

The office of the American president is the most powerful office in the world. Of course, our Constitution and laws, as well as institutions like Congress and our courts, are a bulwark against that power. The law ensures accountability and basic fairness. But the president's integrity, honesty, and respect for our institutions are perhaps the most important and reliable safeguards against abuse of power.

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. That is why, although I am a Republican, I have decided to support Kamala Harris for president.

He also sharply criticized Republicans in Congress, saying he did not trust them to keep Trump in check:

The character of the person we elect in November is especially important today when current members of the House and Senate have proven spectacularly incapable or unwilling to stop the abuse of executive power.

Gonzales also cited the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity during his term in office and wrote about Trump's potential future abuse of power:

Power is intoxicating, and based on Trump's rhetoric and behavior, it seems unlikely that he would respect presidential power in all cases. He would be more likely to abuse it for personal and political gain, rather than on behalf of the American people.

Gonzales also referred to the events of January 6 and said that Trump “failed to do his duty and use his power as president to protect members of Congress, police and the Capitol from the attacks that day.” He “just watched on television and decided not to do anything because that would have been contrary to his interests.”

In his support for Harris, Gonzales defended her against critics who ask why she did not do more as vice president, again pointing the finger at Congress:

Trump and his surrogates will blame her for the Biden administration's economic policies, as well as the border crisis. In my experience, however, a vice president really has little to no influence on economic policy. A vice president can provide input, but the president makes the ultimate decisions. That's part of the president's job. Moreover, Congress has just as much, if not more, power to influence our economy through legislation. The fact that child care, housing, gas, and groceries are too expensive is as much their failure as Biden's. And on the border, Trump and his supporters in Congress took partial responsibility for the difficult border situation when they killed bipartisan legislation to help Trump's electoral chances.

Ultimately, Gonzales wrote that he had more confidence in Harris to carry out the duties of the president:

Harris has pledged allegiance to the rule of law as a former federal prosecutor and attorney general. Her record in law enforcement demonstrates a clear commitment to pursuing justice. While I disagree with some of her policies, I hope she will be open to dissenting views and always act in a way that respects the power of all three branches of government.

In his closing remarks, he added that Harris was “best suited, capable and determined to unite us in a way that is consistent with the rule of law.”

Read the full recommendation at Politico.

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