Former Republican Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.) is adding his name to the growing list of prominent Republicans backing 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
CNN’s Jake Tapper noted Dent has been a lifelong Republican and asked him why he is supporting Biden.
Dent mentioned he did not vote for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election and he has no plans to vote for him in the upcoming election.
“For me, it’s about right or wrong, stability versus instability, security versus insecurity, normal versus abnormal,” Dent said.
He added, “That’s why I am doing this because I feel we need to return some sense of normalcy to the function of government. We simply don’t have that now and that’s why I’m going to be voting for Joe Biden for president.”
Watch his comments below:
Former GOP Rep. Charlie Dent tells @jaketapper that he will be supporting Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020:
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 19, 2020
"This really isn't about right or left… it's about right and wrong." pic.twitter.com/136D1swdZU
Dent penned an op-ed published by CNN diving deeper into his reasoning behind voting for Biden.
He accused Trump of speaking “disparagingly and disrespectfully of his predecessors.”
Dent explained he could not have imagined a Republican president “praising autocrats and advancing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy interests.”
He claimed Trump has not received anything in return for his praise of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Dent slammed Trump for his efforts to “honor” and “defend” Confederate symbols.
He acknowledged while he may disagree with Biden’s policies, he will do so “respectfully.”
Dent argued Trump is not a conservative.
“He is an illiberal populist and nativist whose chaotic approach and managerial malfeasance have undermined the functioning of government,” Dent wrote.
He took aim at Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic calling it “utterly incoherent and ineffective.”
Dent called Biden a “decent and honorable man.”
“That’s why I’m supporting Joe Biden. It’s as simple as that,” Dent wrote.
He added, “And if electing Joe Biden is what’s needed to return the GOP to a better place where it becomes more socially tolerant, constructively engaged on the international stage and supportive of reasonably regulated free markets, all the better.”