The nation’s oldest College Republicans chapter won’t be endorsing the Republican presidential nominee for the first time in 128 years.
The Harvard Republican Club isn’t just withholding their endorsement; the group posted a detailed and stinging rebuke of Donald Trump, who they say is “a threat to the survival of the Republic.”
The club posted a lengthy message on their Facebook and Medium pages on Thursday to lay out their case against Trump.
According to the group, his “racist” and “misogynistic” rhetoric is “not consistent with our conservative principles.” But aside from Trump’s temperament and controversial statements, the Harvard Republicans are specifically opposed to his policy platform.
“Domestically, his protectionist trade policies and draconian immigration restrictions would enlarge our federal deficit, raise prices for consumers, and throw our economy back into recession,” they said.
“Trump’s global outlook, steeped in isolationism, is considerably out-of-step with the traditional Republican stance as well. The flippancy with which he is willing to abdicate the United States’ responsibility to lead is alarming. Calling for the US’ withdrawal from NATO and actively endorsing nuclear proliferation, Donald Trump’s foreign policy would wreak havoc on the established world order which has held aggressive foreign powers in check since World War II.”
The Harvard Republicans are asking GOP leaders and fellow College Republican chapters to join them in renouncing support for Trump.
Instead of focusing on the presidential election this year, the group will turn its efforts to down-ballot congressional races.
“This fall, we will instead focus our efforts on reclaiming the Republican Party from those who have done it considerable harm, campaigning for candidates who will uphold the conservative principles that have defined the Republican Party for generations," they said. "We will work to ensure both chambers of Congress remain in Republican hands, continuing to protect against executive overreach regardless of who wins the election this November.”