The list of Republicans supporting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton grew over the weekend as several more prominent members of the GOP renounced Donald Trump.
In recent days, Trump has faced criticism over his feud with the parents of a Muslim American solder who was killed in the Iraq War, and his initial refusal to endorse Speaker Paul Ryan, and Republican Sens. John McCain and Kelly Ayotte, who are facing primary elections.
The Clinton campaign quickly went to work poaching Republicans who were on the fence about supporting Trump and urged them to support Clinton instead.
On Monday, former Michigan Gov. William Milliken announced his support for Clinton.
“This nation has long prided itself on its abiding commitments to tolerance, civility and equality,” Milliken said in a statement. “We face a critically important choice in this year’s presidential election that will define whether we maintain our commitment to those ideals or embark on a path that has doomed other governments and nations throughout history.”
“I am saddened and dismayed that the Republican Party this year has nominated a candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not embrace those ideals,” he said.
Milliken said he feels “so strongly about our nation’s future” that he will vote for Clinton in November. Milliken has previously supported Democrats over Republicans in various state and federal elections.
On Sunday, former political director for President Reagan, Frank Lavin, said he plans to support Clinton as well. In an op-ed for CNN, Lavin called Trump an “emperor who wears no clothes.”
“It might not be entirely clear that Hillary Clinton deserves to win the presidency, but it is thunderingly clear that Donald Trump deserves to lose,” Lavin wrote.
Lezlee Westine, who served as for President George W. Bush’s White House Director of Public Liaison, also recently joined the ranks of Republican Clinton supporters.
“Our nation faces a unique set of challenges that require steady and experienced leadership,” Westine told The Washington Post. “[Clinton] has the expertise and commitment to American values to grow the economy, create jobs and protect America at home and abroad.”
They're not alone. Many Republicans, especially women and millennials, have decided they cannot support their party's nominee.
Recent polls show Clinton has a 13-point lead on Trump among millennials. Many young voters worry about Trump’s temperament and fear that his message promotes hate and division.
“Trump’s incivility cannot be denied,” said Zachary Zupan, the former Vermont State Director of Millennials for Ted Cruz. “Republicans do well to be cautious of embracing someone whose personal conduct doesn’t reflect our values,” he added.
While it's clear that most millennials oppose Trump, unlike older generations, they aren't flocking to Clinton.
While Zupan believes it is wise for Republicans to be concerned about Trump’s temperament, he urged voters not to support Clinton either.
“It is an error to let that concern direct us towards those whose policies are antithetical to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” he said.
Zupan said he has not yet made up his mind on who to support, but said that it will depend on the third-party candidates.