Joe Biden: Former Republican lawmakers endorse former VP on first day of the Republican convention

This week marks the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump will formally accept the party’s nomination for the upcoming presidential elections. Coinciding with the first day of the convention, several prominent Republicans have endorsed former vice president Joe Biden.

Politico reports the Biden Campaign launched the group Republicans for Biden on the same day of the party’s convention. Republicans for Biden was former to encourage Republicans who support the former vice president in organizing their fellow GOP voters in time for the November elections. With the formation of the group, 27 former GOP lawmakers have voiced their support for Biden, including former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, who has become a staunch critic of Trump. Flake previously warned his fellow Republicans not to reelect Trump back in September through an op-ed piece he wrote for The Washington Post.

Other Republicans who endorsed Biden this week include former senators Charlie Dent, John Warner, Ray LaHood, and Gordon Humphrey. They join groups of other prominent Republicans, including former Trump administration and Bush administration officials in supporting Biden this upcoming election. A few prominent Republicans also spoke during last week’s Democratic Convention like John Kasich, Susan Molinari, Colin Powell, Christine Todd Whitman, and Meg Whitman.

Following the news of the endorsements from these Republicans, the Biden campaign issued a statement. The campaign said that the former lawmakers are backing the former vice president because Trump’s failures in his Presidency already goes beyond partisanship. The Trump campaign dismissed the endorsements, saying that Trump still holds a lot of support from his own party.

As the United States is also undergoing civil unrest over the past several months, with protests calling to end police brutality and systemic racism, Biden called out the Wisconsin law enforcement officials responsible for the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back. Blake was shot multiple times as he was opening the door of his vehicle where his three children were sitting. Blake has since been taken to a hospital to undergo surgery and is reported to be stable.

“This calls for an immediate, full, and transparent investigation and the officers must be held accountable,” said Biden. “These shots pierce the soul of our nation. Jill and I pray for Jacob’s recovery and for his children. Equal justice has not been real for Black Americans and so many others. We are at an inflection point. We must dismantle systemic racism.”

The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced that the police officers responsible are now placed on administrative leave.