Opinion: How Trump caused a veteran and Republican to switch political parties

A retired captain in the US Army details what drove him from Donald Trump’s Republican Party and why Trump should never be commander and chief again.

Imagine appearing on seven billboards across North Carolina. It happened to me in 2020 as part of the organization “Republican Voters Against Trump.”

The signs had me asking fellow Tarheels, especially fellow veterans, to vote for a Democrat.

Scenes from my childhood home would not have forecasted this. Background sounds back then included Rush Limbaugh on radio and Bill O’Reilly on TV. And my family—they believed in the GOP and that Republicans represented those who cherished democracy at home, defended democracy abroad, and respected our institutions and the rule of law.

As America comes roaring down the home stretch to the most consequential election in my lifetime, I have thought deeply about my political beliefs and how they have evolved. Given the freedom we have to vote, a rarity in much of the world, a little political self-introspection goes a long way.

For me, joining the US military was based on my Republican roots but also on inspirational leadership and the events of 9/11. The leaders were Vietnam War hero and late Senator, John McCain, and diplomat, statesman, and historic US Army officer, Colin Powell. I admired them both and they inspired me to join the military after 9/11 shook America so deeply.

I then had the honor of serving for five years as an Army Officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. 

Country above party: Looking back, however, I might have always been, at least subconsciously, someone who put country above political party. Republicans have drifted from this, but for me, I now see the clues were there. Here are some examples:

As part of the millennial generation, I was never interested in joining the divisive culture wars. I believed, perhaps naively, that Americans were united at our core. For instance, in 2009, I was lucky enough to attend President Barack Obama’s inauguration as part of an Army ROTC Leadership program.

Even though I had voted for McCain, I was excited and proud to witness the sacred ritual known as the peaceful transfer of power, which Ronald Reagan called a miracle that happens every four years. Seeing honorable men from both parties, McCain, former president George W. Bush, and Obama, come together despite their fierce political battles, was exhilarating. To me—that is what makes America truly great.

I also reflect on the NATO soldiers, especially from Eastern Europe, whom I trained alongside as a paratrooper in the 82nd. What are they thinking as America’s democratic norms erode? Many of them, from nations once throttled by the Soviet Union’s iron grip, know authoritarianism all too well.

These allies see what I see. A Republican Party that is an anti-democratic force that refuses to accept election results, demonizes some election workers, and is essentially a cult of personality built on lies and conspiracy theories. As someone who has volunteered as an election worker recently, this infuriates me because election volunteers are some of the most patriotic Americans I have ever had the pleasure to work alongside.

Where does it go from here? To me, the Republican Party, and the abandoning of its traditional defense of democracy, must not be seen in a vacuum. I live in the South where the white rural rage you experience across the countryside is almost understandable.

For many Americans, Washington’s recent trade and technology policies have weakened parts of the economy in ways that look to some as irreparable. Parts of our society do need fresh, compassionate ideas.

But embracing former President Donald Trump’s corrupt reality TV fantasy/nightmare, and pretending Trump is a Republican—has me ready to vote for Democrats for as long as it takes to defeat the MAGA movement. Trump’s disdain for service and disrespect for veterans is also appalling and reason enough that he should never be commander and chief again.

Entering the Army, I raised my right hand and swore an oath to the Constitution to defend my country. That oath was for life and meant defending our democracy by appreciating what democracy means, regardless of party. 

This is why I am now volunteering as a co-chair of the 2024 Republicans for Harris initiative in North Carolina. Before a recent rally in Fayetteville, I had the honor of speaking before Vice President Kamala Harris and meeting her. It was just three days before President Biden announced he wouldn’t seek reelection, and Harris became the de facto nominee. 

Shaking the V.P.’s hand I proudly pledged my support, not because of party politics, but for love of country.