In a new joint letter released Monday, 235 senior military leaders officially endorsed President Donald Trump’s reelection.
“The 2020 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to affirm their devotion to the Constitution of the United States and to the American way of life. As senior leaders of America’s military, we took an oath to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. At present, our country is now confronted with enemies here and abroad, as well as a once in a century pandemic,” the letter says. “As retired military officers, we believe that Donald J. Trump has been tested as few other presidents have and is the proven leader to confront these dangers.”
The letter, which is signed by eight four-star generals/admirals, 42 three-star generals/admirals, goes on to call the 2020 presidential election the most important since the United States’ inception. It names off threats such as socialism and Marxism, and defense spending cuts as some of the most detrimental to Americans’ security and way of life.
“The Democrats’ opposition to border security, their pledge to return to the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, their antagonism towards the police and planned cuts to military spending will leave the United States more vulnerable to foreign enemies,” the letter says.
“The proposed defense cuts by the Democrats will, in our professional judgment, create a potentially perilous situation for the United States during a time of great external and internal threats to our Nation,” the letter adds.
The letter also takes aim at Biden, criticizing him and former President Obama for harming military strength through “a series of ill-considered and debilitating budget cuts” during their administration.
“For these reasons, we support Donald Trump’s re-election. We believe that President Donald Trump is committed to a strong America. As president, he will continue to secure our borders, defeat our adversaries, and restore law and order domestically,” the letter says. “We urge our fellow Americans to join us in supporting the re-election of Donald Trump for President.”
Read the full text of the letter below:
Open Letter from Senior Military Leaders
The 2020 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to affirm their devotion to the Constitution of the United States and to the American way of life. As senior leaders of America’s military, we took an oath to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. At present, our country is now confronted with enemies here and abroad, as well as a once in a century pandemic. As retired military officers, we believe that Donald J. Trump has been tested as few other presidents have and is the proven leader to confront these dangers.It can be argued that this is the most important election since our country was founded. With the Democratic Party welcoming to socialists and Marxists, our historic way of life is at stake.
During the Obama/Biden administration, America’s armed forces were subjected to a series of ill-considered and debilitating budget cuts. The Democrats have once again pledged to cut defense spending, undermining our military strength.
The Democrats’ opposition to border security, their pledge to return to the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, their antagonism towards the police and planned cuts to military spending will leave the United States more vulnerable to foreign enemies.
President Trump’s resolute stands have deterred our enemies from aggression against us and our allies. The proposed defense cuts by the Democrats will, in our professional judgment, create a potentially perilous situation for the United States during a time of great external and internal threats to our Nation.
For these reasons, we support Donald Trump’s re-election. We believe that President Donald Trump is committed to a strong America. As president, he will continue to secure our borders, defeat our adversaries, and restore law and order domestically.
We urge our fellow Americans to join us in supporting the re-election of Donald Trump for President.
Gen. Alfred Hansen, U.S. Air Force, Retired
Gen. William R. Looney III, U.S. Air Force, Retired
Gen. Lance Smith, U.S. Air Force, Retired
ADM. Mark Fitzgerald, U.S, Navy Retired
ADM. Thomas B. Hayward, U.S. Navy, Retired
ADM. Jerome L. Johnson, U.S. Navy, Retired
ADM. Leighton Smith, U.S. Navy, Retired
ADM. Steven White, U.S. Navy, Retired
LTG Edward Anderson, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Emil “Buck” Bedard, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG William G. Boykin, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Dennis Cavin, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG James Chambers, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Matthew T. Cooper, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG Gordon E. Fornell, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Jay Garner, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Stan Green, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Earl Hailston, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG D.J. Heljlik, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG Timothy A. Kinnan , U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG James M. Link, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Frederick McCorckle, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG Thomas McInerney, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Thomas J. Owen, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Garry L. Parks, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
LTG Clifford H. Rees, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG James C. Riley, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Richard M. Scofield, U.S Air Force, Retired
LTG Leroy Sisco, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG Ellie G. Shuler, Jr., U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Hubert G. Smith, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG David Teal, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Garry Trexler, U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Ronald L. Watts, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG R. L. Wetzel, U.S. Army, Retired
LTG John W. Woodmansee, Jr. U.S. Army, Retired
LTG John L. Woodward Jr., U.S. Air Force, Retired
LTG Michael W. Wooley, U.S. Air Force, Retired
VADM Edward Briggs, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM Toney M. Bucchi, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM E.W. Clexton, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM W. J. Hancock, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM Gordon Holder, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM William Dean Lee, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
VADM James W. Metzger, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM James Pappas, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM John M. Poindexter, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM Robert J. Spane, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM Edward Straw, U.S. Navy, Retired
VADM Jerry Unruh, U.S. Navy, Retired
MG Joseph Arbuckle, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Paul Bergson, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Casey D. Blake, US. Air Force, Retired
MG William G. Bowden, U.S. Marines, Retired
MG Edward Bracken, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Patrick Brady, MOH, U.S Army, Retired
MG David Burford, U.S. Army, Retired
MG H. Hale Burr, Jr. U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Thomas Carter, U.S Air Force, Retired
MG Carroll Childers, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Peter W. Clegg, U S .Army, Retired
MG Jeffrey Cliver, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG John Closner, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Richard S. Colt, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Wesley Craig, U.S. Army, Retired
MG James Cravens, U.S. Army, Retired
MG James D. Delk, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Robert E. Dempsey, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Travis Dyer, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Neil Eddins, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG David Eidsaune, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Fred E. Elam, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Peter Franklin, U.S. Army, Retired
MG David C. Garza, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Brian I. Geehan, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Timothy F. Ghormley, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Francis C. Gideon, Jr. U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG William A. Gorton, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG John S. Grinalds, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG John Gronski, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Gary L. Harrell, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Bryan Hawley, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG John W. Hawley, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Robert R. Hicks Jr. U.S. Army, Retired
MG Geoff Higginbotham, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Bobby Hollingsworth, U.S. Marine Corp, Retired
MG Jerry D. Holmes, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Clinton V. Horn, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Dewitt T. Irby, Jr. U.S. Army, Retired
MG Donald L. Jacka, U.S. Army, Retired
MG William K. James, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Alan D. Johnson, U.S. Army, Retired
MG David J. Kaucheck, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Michael C. Kerby, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG John A. Leide, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Vernon Lewis, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Thomas Lightner, U.S. Army, Retired
MG James E. Livingston, MOH, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Robert E. Livingston, Jr. , U.S. Army, Retired
MG Jarvis Lynch, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG O. G. Mannon, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Clay T. McCutchan, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Paul Mock , U.S. Army, Retired
MG Bruce Moore, U.S. Army, Retired
MG William A. Navas, Jr. U.S. Army, Retired
MG George Norwood, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Ray O’Mara, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Joe S. Owens, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Richard Perraut, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Ronald G. Richard, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Ernest O. Robbins II, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG H. Douglas Robertson, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Nels Running, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG John P. Schoeppner, Jr. U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Richard A. Scholtes, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Gregory Schumacher, Us. Army, Retired
MG Richard Secord, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Mark Solo, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Melvin Spiese, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG James Stewart, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Michael P. Sullivan, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Paul Vallely, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Russell L. Violett, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Kenneth W. Weir, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
MG Geoffrey P. Wiedeman, Jr., U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Gary C. Wattnem, U.S. Army, Retired
MG Richard Wightman, Jr., U.S. Army, Retired
MG Michael N. Wilson, U.S. Air Force, Retired
MG Albert Zapanta, U.S. Army, Retired
RADM Philip Anselmo, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Stephen Barchet, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Jon W. Bayless, Jr., U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM James B. Best, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Stanley D. Bozin, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Bruce B. Bremner, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADL Norman Campbell, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM James J. Carey, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Arthur Clark, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Jay Cohen, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADL David Cronk, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Ernest A. Elliot, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM James. R. Fowler, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Albert Gallotta, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM William J. Gilmore, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Andrew A. Granuzzo, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM John G. Hekman, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Donald E. Hickman, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Steve Israel, U.S. Navy, Retired
RDML Grady L. Jackson, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Ronny Jackson, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM John Graham King, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Jon Kreitz, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Charles Kubic, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADL Bobby C. Lee, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Douglas E. Lee, U.S Navy, Retired
RADM Frederick L. Lewis, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Edward S. McGinley II, U. S. Navy, Retired
RADM John H. McKinley, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Ralph M. Mitchell, Jr., U.S. Navy, Retired
RAML Robert Moeller, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Douglas M. Moore, Jr., U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM John A. Moriarty, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM David R. Morris, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM William E. Newman, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Robert Owens, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM John F. Paddock, Jr. U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Marc Pelaez, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Russell S. Penniman, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Leonard F. Picotte. U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM David P. Polatty III, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Brian C. Prindle, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Michael Roesner, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Norman T. Saunders, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
RADM William R. Schmidt, U.S. Navy, Retired
READM Scott Semko, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Doniphan B. Shelton, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Robert Shumaker, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Bernard J. Smith, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Alton Stocks, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Thomas E. Stone, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Barton D. Strong, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Jeremy D. Taylor, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM William E. Terry, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Robert P. Tiernan, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Lenn Vincent, U. S. Navy, Retired
RADM George Wagner, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM H. Denny Wisely, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Ray Cowden Witter, U.S. Navy, Retired
RADM Charles B. Young, U.S. Navy, Retired
BG John Allen, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG John Arick, U.S Marine Corps. Retired
BG Mark Beesley, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Charles L. Bishop, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG William A. Bloomer, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
BG Frank Bruno, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Jimmy Cash, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Clifton C. Clark, Jr. U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Keith B. Connolly, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Philip M. Drew, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Curtis Emery II, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Terry Ethridge, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Robert L. Floyd II, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Jerome V. Foust, US Army, Retired
BG C. William Fox, Jr. MD, U.S.Army, Retired
BG Norman R. Ham, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG David A. Herrelko, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG C. J. Hindman, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Stanislaus J. Hoey, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Thomas Honeywill, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Tamhra Hutchins-Frye, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG James Johnston, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Charles Jones, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Robert Jordan, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Douglas E. Lee, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Ronald S. Mangum, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Thomas P. Maney, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Michael P. McRaney, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG James M. Mead, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
BG Joseph Mensching, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Bruce Miketinac, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Daniel L. Montgomery, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Hans Mueh, U. S. Air Force, Retired
BG Michael I. Neil, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
BG Joseph Oder, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Guido J. Portante, U.S. Army, Retired
BG Teddy E. Rinebarger, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Douglas J. Richardson, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Steven A. Roser, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Michael Scholes, U.S. Army, Retired
BG George L. Schulstad, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG David B. Warner, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG William O. Welch, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Robert V. Woods, U.S. Air Force, Retired
BG Robert H. Woods, Jr. U.S. Army, Retired
BG David Zalis, CH, U.S. Army, Retired
