Jeff Flake Joins ‘Republicans For Biden’ Effort Alongside Dozens Of Former GOP Lawmakers

Over two-dozen former GOP lawmakers, including Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, announced their support for the “Republicans for Biden” effort Monday, according to the Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign.

Their support aligns with former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign to attract disaffected Republicans, Fox News reported, and came only hours before the start of the Republican National Convention where President Donald Trump is scheduled to accept his party’s nomination.

A Biden spokesperson told Fox News that “Trump’s corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant disregard for moral decency, and urgent need to get the country back on course” were reasons so many Republicans who had endorsed the former vice president.

“These members of Congress are supporting Joe Biden because they know what’s at stake in this election and that Trump’s failures as President have superseded partisanship,” he said.

He also said that Flake would likely make a statement Monday afternoon explaining his decision.

Though Biden touts support from numerous Republicans, few have been more prominent or as critical of Trump as Flake, according to Fox News.

The former Senator authored an op-ed calling for Republican lawmakers to support impeachment in order to save their “souls” last fall, and was a frequent Trump critic throughout their overlap in Washington. Flake had said earlier this year that he would not vote for the president, but held off endorsing Biden until now, Fox News reported.

The announcement also comes days after multiple Republicans, including former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former New York Rep. Susan Molinari and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, spoke in support of Biden at the Democratic National Convention.

Tim Murtaugh, Trump’s communications director, rebuffed Monday’s announcement in a statement to Fox News Monday, saying that “Joe Biden has been a failure in the Washington Swamp for a half century, so no one should be surprised when Swamp creatures gather to protect one of their own.”

Some former Democrats are scheduled to speak in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention as well, Fox reported, including New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who switched parties after the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump in December 2019.

Joining Flake in the “Republicans for Biden” effort are former Republican Sens. Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire and John Warner of Virginia, and 24 former members of Congress, USA Today reported.