Writing that America is ready for a “long overdue course correction in our national security posture,” 88 retired military figures today endorsed Donald Trump for president.
“As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world,” wrote the generals and admirals. “For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next commander in chief.”
Trump said the letter was a “great honor” in a prepared statement.
“I thank each of them for their service and their confidence in me to serve as commander in chief,” said Trump. “Keeping our nation safe and leading our armed forces is the most important responsibility of the presidency.”
Most of the military figures had endorsed prior Republican presidential nominees.
Gen. William G. Boykin was once criticized by President George W. Bush for describing the battle against Islamist terrorists as a war between a “Christian nation” and the “idol” of Islam.
Lt. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney, who is a regular on Fox News, previously submitted court documents challenging President Obama’s eligibility to serve as president, accusing him of not being born in America.
Not every retired military leader is on board the Trump train. Last month a group of 50 Republican foreign policy experts eviscerated Trump calling him “unqualified” and a “dangerous” presidential candidate.
Here is the letter in its entirety:
OPEN LETTER FROM MILITARY LEADERS
The 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make long overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy. As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world. For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next Commander-in-Chief.
For the past eight years, America’s armed forces have been subjected to a series of ill-considered and debilitating budget cuts, policy choices and combat operations that have left the superb men and women in uniform less capable of performing their vital missions in the future than we require them to be. Simultaneously, enemies of this country have been emboldened, sensing weakness and irresolution in Washington and opportunities for aggression at our expense and that of other freedom- loving nations.
In our professional judgment, the combined effect is potentially extremely perilous. That is especially the case if our government persists in the practices that have brought us to thisFor this reason, we support Donald Trump and his commitment to rebuild our military, to secure our borders, to defeat our Islamic supremacist adversaries and restore law and order domestically.
We urge our fellow Americans to do the same.
- General Burwell B. Bell III, US Army, Retired
- General Alfred G. Hansen, US Air Force, Retired
- Admiral Jerry Johnson, US Navy, Retired
- General Crosbie “Butch” Saint, US Army, Retired
- Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, US Army, Retired
- Lieutenant General Marvin Covault, US Army, Retired
- Lieutenant General Gordon E, Fornell, US Air Force, Retired
- Lieutenant General Harley Hughes, US Air Force, Retired
- Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, US Air Force, Retired
- Lieutenant General Timothy A. Kinnan, US Air Force, Retired
- Lieutenant General Hugh G. Smith, US Army, Retired
- Lieutenant General David J. Teal, US Air Force, Retired
- Lieutenant General William E Thurman, US Air Force, Retired
- Vice Admiral Mike Bucchi, US Navy, Retired
- Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, Jr. US Navy, Retired
- Vice Admiral Dutch Schoultz, US Navy, Retired
- Vice Admiral Donald Thompson, US Coast Guard, Retired
- Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, US Navy, RetiredMajor General Joe Arbuckle, US Army, Retired
- Major General John Bianchi, CSMR, Retired
- Major General Henry D. Canterbury, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Jeffrey Cliver, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Tommy F Crawford, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Felix Dupre, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Neil Eddins, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General David W. Eidsaune, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General William A. Gorton, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Kenneth Hagemann, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Gary L. Harrell, US Army, Retired
- Major General Geoffrey Higginbothan, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Major General John D. Logeman, Jr., US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Homer S. Long, US Army, Retired
- Major General Billy McCoy, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Robert Messerli, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General John Miller, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Ray O’Mara, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General George W.“Nordie” Norwood, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Robert W. Paret, US Air Force MC, Retired
- Major General James W. Parker, US Army, Retired
- Major General Richard Perraut, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Sidney Shachnow, US Army, Retired
- Major General Mark Solo, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General John Welde, US Air Force, Retired
- Major General Kenneth W. Weir, US Marine Corps, Retired
- Rear Admiral Phillip Anselmo, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Thomas F. Brown III, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert C. Crates, SC, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Mimi Drew, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Ernest Elliot, SC, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral James H. Flatley III, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Byron Fuller, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Dale Hagen, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Charles F. Horne III US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Grady L. Jackson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral J. Adrian Jackson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Frederick C. Johnson, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Jack Kavanaugh, SC, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Charles R.Kubic, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Rich Landolt, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral William J. McDaniel, MD, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral E.S. McGinley II, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Douglas M. Moore Jr. SC US Navy. Retired
- Rear Admiral John A. Moriarty, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral David R. Morris, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, US Coast Guard, Retired
- Rear Admiral Philip R. Olsen, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Robert S. Owens, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral W.W. Pickavance, Jr., US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Leonard F. Picotte, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Brian C. Prindle, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral William J. Ryan, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral William L. Schachte, Jr., US Navy JAGC, Retired
- Rear Admiral William R Schmidt, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Hugh P. Scott, US Navy, MC, Retired
- Rear Admiral Gregory Slavonic, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral Charles Williams, US Navy, Retired
- Rear Admiral H. Denny Wisely, US Navy, Retired
- Brigadier General Remo Butler, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General George P. Cole, Jr. US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Jerome V. Foust, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Charles Jones,US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Mike D. Jones, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, Retired
- Brigadier General Mark D. Scraba, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, Retired
- Brigadier General Robert F. Titus, US Air Force, Retired