Republicans for Harris gathered before the presidential debate on Tuesday evening in an upscale 19th floor suite complete with manned phone banks and engaged organization for upcoming events to prepare for what is seen as a rapidly growing phenomenon—Republicans refusing to vote for Donald Trump and finding common ground with Kamala Harris.
Among the Republicans for Harris debate watch party Tuesday night was former Republican Congressman and conservative talk radio host, Joe Walsh, former Az. State Representative Deb Gullett, former Az. State Representative Robin Shaw and Wes Gullett the former State Director for the late Sen. John McCain—a room full of Republicans eager to cheer on Harris—their Democratic candidate of choice.
The event was held at the Great American Tower on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix and people had gathered an hour before the much-anticipated televised debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump is unfit to be president because he has utterly no respect for the rule of law, the Constitution or democracy,” Walsh said.
“He’s the only president in American history who lost an election and refused to concede, and then he tried to overthrow an American election—it’s actually stunning, that, here we are, almost four years later, and he’s on the stage as the nominee.”
Walsh told Northeast Valley News, there are many Republicans that simply will not vote for Trump, “I think there’s something going on that is not being measured, I was in Pennsylvania last week and New Hampshire the week before and the number of Republicans that I have met with and have said, ‘I’m voting for her Joe, but I’m not going to say anything publicly’—because it takes a lot of courage—but I have been stunned by the number,” Walsh said.
Walsh disclosed the often high-risk to prominent Republicans like Adam Kinzinger who did go public in support of Harris. The former Illinois Representative, Kinzinger, in particular, has been one of Donald Trump’s harshest and most vocal GOP critics.
Claiming an anti-Trump stance as a Republican may cost you according to Walsh, “If you do what I did or Kinzinger did— you’re done as a Republican—you give up your career, you’re shunned locally,” Walsh said.
Northeast Valley News asked Walsh if he were the moderator of the debate that was about to air, what one question would he like to ask Donald Trump.
“Why don’t you have the balls or the decency or the love of country to accept the election results—how dare you—why don’t you have the balls to do that? Cause he’s gonna do it again this year.”
The late Senator John McCain’s former State Director, Wes Gullett, says he’s witnessed a groundswell of Republican support for Vice President Kamala Harris since she became the presidential candidate and he believes momentum is on their side as more Republicans reject Trump and simply do the right thing.
Gullett says Republicans for Harris is becoming a more comfortable place for those in the GOP that are anti-Trump.
“It has grown organically, people have come on board, and it’s a safe place to be. It’s ok for Republicans to support Kamala Harris. So when I hear a Republican say ‘I like Donald Trump’s policies’…well, I don’t—I don’t like the policy of ransacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, I don’t like the policy of suspending the Constitution, I don’t like the policy of exclusion instead of inclusion.”
“This is somebody who has absolutely no convictions, willing to do whatever it takes to win, and is a complete—liar.
“We don’t want an authoritarian thug. That’s not America. We want checks and balances we want Congress and the Executive and we want the Supreme Court to be balanced in power, but Project 2025 describes a blueprint for consolidating power in the presidency—that scares me the most,” Gullett said.
