133 Former National Security Officials Endorse Joe Biden in an Unprecedented Show of Support
A group of 133 former national security, foreign service, and military officials who have served in nearly every major national security institution across seven administrations are endorsing Joe Biden for President today.
The size and breadth of today’s cohort of endorsers highlight both the extreme threat that Donald Trump poses to our nation and our world, and the widespread belief among those who’ve devoted their lives to keeping America safe that Biden is the candidate best prepared to step in as commander in chief, restore our global standing, and once again put Americans’ security ahead of politics.
Today’s endorsers include dozens of former deputy, under, and assistant secretaries of Defense, State, and Homeland Security and other national security departments and agencies; and scores of former ambassadors, career foreign service officers, and other top national security and intelligence officials.
Among them are former National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor Lisa Monaco, former Deputy CIA Director and Deputy National Security Advisor Avril Haines, former Under Secretary of State Nick Burns, and former Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“Joe Biden knows that U.S. security depends on strong U.S. leadership. He has the knowledge, experience, and credibility necessary to protect our national security and advance our democratic values in an increasingly chaotic and complex world,” said Lisa Monaco, former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to President Obama.
“When he was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he gave me unstinting support in the final stages of my negotiation of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement which required two votes in the Congress,” said Ambassador Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State and Ambassador to NATO and to Greece. “And when I was Ambassador to NATO, he was equally supportive in helping us to rally Europe to our side after 9/11, on Russia and the expansion of NATO itself. No member of Congress was more helpful and more knowledgeable about foreign and defense policy than Joe Biden. Joe Biden has the experience in the White House and Senate to keep us safe and to lead us towards a more positive and peaceful future. That’s why I am proud to support Joe Biden for President and to be part of his historic campaign.”
“America’s standing in the world and our ability to advance the interests and values of the American people have taken a big hit these past three years. We need a new president in 2020, and Vice President Biden is the best candidate to bring us back to stable ground, repair the damage done, and restore our place in the world from his first day in office,” said Antony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor, now a senior advisor to Biden’s campaign. “Vice President Biden knows the leaders and knows the issues, and he can immediately pick up the phone to start fixing the damage that President Trump has done. I’ve seen him over decades around the world, in eye-to-eye meetings with our nation’s toughest rivals and closest allies, and working hand-in-hand with our diplomats and our military. He has put country before personal or partisan interests throughout his career. The public servants who join me in supporting him today know that the Vice President has the experience to keep this nation’s more than 320 million people safe from day one. And they know that he’s devoted to rebuilding American leadership – not as a slogan, but as a beacon of democracy, human rights, and hope for people around the world.”
