Son of John McCain joins conservatives endorsing Harris over Trump: See the list
Jim McCain, a son of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain, has announced Tuesday he is backing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
McCain was previously an independent who changed his voter registration to Democrat a month ago. But he said he is speaking out about his endorsement after Trump's staffers allegedly got into an altercation with the staff Arlington National Cemetery over campaign activity restrictions.
McCain is the latest in a growing list of people with professional or familial ties to the Republican party who have spoken out against Trump. A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll shows Harris leads Trump 48% to 43%.
With approximately 60 days until Election Day, here is a round up of conservatives who have backed Harris and bashed Trump:
Coming up next: When is the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump? Here's what to know
238 former aids to Republican presidential nominees endorse Kamala Harris
More than 200 Republicans who previously worked for former President George W. Bush, McCain or Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah endorsed Harris in an open letter.
A similar group of approximately 150 alumni from the Republican presidential nominees supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The group said moderate Republicans and conservative independents helped Biden win in swing states and called on those voters to back Harris over Trump again.
"Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. (Tim) Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable," the letter stated.
Republicans endorse Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention
The following Republicans appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to endorse Harris:
Former White House national security advisor Olivia Troye - "To my fellow Republican's you aren't voting for a Democrat you're voting for democracy. You aren't betraying your party you're standing up for our country."
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., - "As a conservative and a veteran, I believe true strength lies in defending the vulnerable. It's in protecting your family. It's in standing up for our Constitution and our democracy. That that is the soul of being a conservative," he said. "It used to be the soul of being a Republican, but Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party."
Former Trump press secretary and former First Lady Melania Trump's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham - "[Trump] has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth."
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan - "If the Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative, it is chaotic and crazy and the only thing left to do is dump Trump."
Mayor of Mesa, Arizona John Giles - "I have an urgent message for the majority of Americans who, like me, are in the political middle: John McCain's Republican party is gone and we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind."
Romney, Pence criticized Trump but have not endorsed Harris
McCain's mother Cindy McCain was similarly troubled by the Arlington incident, Jim McCain said. She endorsed Biden over Trump in 2020 after Trump repeatedly hurled insults at Sen. McCain even after he died of brain cancer in 2018.
McCain's sister Meghan McCain said she is still a Republican but will not be voting for Harris or Trump.
“I greatly respect the wide variety of political opinions of all of my family members and love them all very much,” she said in a social media post Tuesday. “I however, remain a proud member of the Republican Party and hope for brighter days ahead. (Not voting for Harris or Trump, hope that clears things up).”
Former Republican Presidential nominee Romney has repeatedly criticized Trump and said he will not vote for him in this election, but has not yet endorsed Harris.
Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence has said he will not endorse Trump for a second term due to "profound differences."
Contributing: Ronald J. Hansen, Arizona Republic; Joey Garrison, David Jackson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John McCain's son endorses Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in Election