As Donald Trump was dealing with continued fallout from his professed admiration for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin Thursday, Hillary Clinton's campaign rolled out a list of 15 Pennsylvania Republicans who plan to vote for the Democrat.
"This is a really important moment for everybody in our country, as you have seen by the numbers of Republicans concerned about Trump coming forward and saying, 'this is not acceptable,'" Clinton said in a news conference. "They are willing to put their names out there - people who have never endorsed a Democrat ... because they are so concerned about this man and how totally unqualified he is to be president, and how totally temperamentally unfit he is to be Commander-in-Chief."
The Pennsylvania Republicans for Hillary include a former Bush Administration official, a former Ford Administration official, and a Republican committeewoman – along with retired military officials, veterans, and business and community leaders.
Michael Browne of Montgomery County, former deputy under secretary of Transportation under President Gerald Ford and Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner in GOP administrations: "Unfortunately, the Republican Party has nominated a person who seeks to exploit the fears and divisions in our country rather than appealing to the optimism which has made America great. The result of Donald Trump's approach would be to make our country weaker and less respected, and in a complex world, his simplistic solutions would make us less safe. Many of Donald Trump's ideas are half-baked and dangerous and, as President, he would jeopardize our security. For these reasons, I believe it is important to speak out against Donald Trump and to work to elect Hillary Clinton. I also believe that many thoughtful Republicans will join me in rejecting Donald Trump's appeal to the darker side of our nature and will vote for Hillary Clinton. I support Hillary Clinton and hope that she will become the 45th President of the United States. From her fight against discrimination as a young lawyer, to her distinguished service in the U.S. Senate, to her leadership abroad as Secretary of State, Hillary has embodied the qualities all Americans should look for in a President: experience, persistence, tolerance, and strength."
The Honorable Pam Iovino of Pittsburgh, former Navy Captain and Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs for the Department of Veteran Affairs in the George W. Bush Administration: "Hillary will support and promote total force readiness by protecting women service members that have been victims of military sexual assault and harassment. She will strengthen protections, so women don't fear of retaliation from reporting."
Dr. Richard Costlow, resident of Montgomery County: "Donald Trump embodies the least attractive and least inclusive messaging the Republican party has espoused in the more than 40 years I've been a Republican. His inconsistent and, frankly, dishonest statements about his past policy positions, his fear-mongering towards immigrants, and his reckless rhetoric on clearly ill-conceived foreign policy for the United States are dangerous for the global community. The opposition to him from multiple levels within the GOP belies their broad mistrust of him as a person and a potential Commander-in Chief. He lacks experience in public policy and what little is known of him as a businessman is littered with litigation which suggests he broke promises, failed to pay his bills, in addition to exploiting undocumented workers and outsourcing jobs - displacing American labor. The Trump brand has betrayed hardworking Americans as the trade-off for the self-enrichment of Donald Trump and has no place in the GOP. Donald Trump has neither the public policy experience nor the temperament to lead the America I believe in during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. My choice is Hillary Clinton as our next President."
Phil Eichinger of Delaware County, Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War: "Donald Trump is simply unqualified to run our country and cannot be trusted with our security. America needs a tested and steady leader and we have that in Hillary Clinton. Her experience and demeanor are a stark contrast to Trump's divisive behavior."
James Colin Foster of Allegheny County, college student: "Hillary Clinton has shown throughout her career that she will work across the aisle to move our country forward. Donald Trump's entire campaign has been an exercise in recklessness and bullying. Hillary's lifelong commitment to children and families speaks louder than any of Trump's divisive words."
Mark Pasquerilla of Cambria County, Chairman and CEO of Crown American and a former At-Large Delegate to the 2004 and 2008 Republican National Conventions: "I could not be more disappointed in my party's choice of nominee. I served as a former Pennsylvania At-Large Delegate for the 2004 and 2008 Republican National Conventions and my father ran for Pennsylvania state treasurer on the same ticket as President Richard Nixon. I cannot stand by as Donald Trump hate mongers and bullies hard-working Americans around. Our country needs a president who will treat everyone with the respect they deserve and that's why Hillary Clinton will have my vote on November 8."
Philadelphia Republican Committeewoman Elissa Prichep: "I am very concerned by Donald Trump's tendency to bully, demean, and degrade others. This election is about so much more than what party you belong to - it's about choosing a leader who can handle the real challenges that face a President of the United States. Hillary Clinton is a tested leader who has the steadiness to be in the White House, unlike Trump who has shown time and time again that he is temperamentally unfit to be president."
