Former GOP Lawmakers Say Donald Trump Lacks 'Intelligence' and 'Judgment' for the White House

More than two dozen former Republican lawmakers signed an open letter to Republicans on Thursday, offering a blistering attack on Donald Trump, saying the nominee lacks the "intelligence" and "temperament" for the White House and called on the party to reject the New York businessman at the polls.

Among those who signed the letter are former committee chairmen, including lawmakers from important swing states, such as Bill Clinger of Pennsylvania and G. William Whitehorse of Virginia. A broad range of ideological proclivities within the GOP were included, as well, such as: Vin Weber of Minnesota who helped Newt Gingrich rise within the party in the 1990s; Mickey Edwards, who helped found the Heritage Foundation in the 1970s; and Tom Petri, a moderate from Wisconsin who served 40 years.

"Our party's nominee this year is a man who makes a mockery of the principles and values we have cherished and which we sought to represent in Congress," the group said in a statement, according to The Hill, which first reported on the letter.

"Given the enormous power of the office, every candidate for president must be judged rigorously in assessing whether he or she has the competence, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, empathy, judgment, and temperament necessary to keep America on a safe and steady course," the letter continues. "Donald Trump fails on each of those measures, and he has proven himself manifestly unqualified to be president."

Although the group includes several Republicans who have opposed Trump individually over the last year, more than half of them are announcing their rejection of Trump for the first time in Thursday's letter.

The former Republicans hit at Trump's character and the party, saying "In nominating Donald Trump, the Republican Party has asked the people of the United States to entrust their future to a man who insults women, mocks the handicapped, urges that dissent be met with violence, seeks to impose religious tests for entry into the United States, and applies a de facto ethnicity test to judges."

The letter adds: "He offends our allies and praises dictators. His public statements are peppered with lies. He belittles our heroes and insults the parents of men who have died serving our country. Every day brings a fresh revelation that highlights the unacceptable danger in electing him to lead our nation."

The group members said they are "proud" of their service and to have "served in that role as Republicans," but that they saw Trump's "disgraceful candidacy" has gone beyond the party.

"It is in that spirit that, as Donald Trump’s unfitness for public office has become ever more apparent, we urge our fellow Republicans not to vote for this man whose disgraceful candidacy is indefensible. This is no longer about our party; it’s now about America. We may differ on how we will cast our ballots in November but none of us will vote for Donald Trump."

In August, 50 Republican officials wrote a similar letter over concerns about the impact of a Trump presidency on national security.

"None of us will vote for Donald Trump," the letter stated, because the nominee has "demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding" of America's "vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances and the democratic values," before adding that Trump "has shown no interest in educating himself."

The full list of former Republican representatives include:

Steve Bartlett (Texas)

Bob Bauman (Maryland)

Sherwood Boehlert (New York)

Jack Buechner (Missouri)

Tom Campbell (California)

Bill Clinger (Pennsylvania)

Tom Coleman (Missouri)

Geoff Davis (Kentucky)

Mickey Edwards (Oklahoma)

Harris Fawell (Illinois)

Ed Foreman (New Mexico)

Amo Houghton, Jr. (New York)

Gordon Humphrey (New Hampshire)

Bob Inglis (South Carolina)

Jim Kolbe (Arizona)

Steve Kuykendall (California)

Jim Leach (Iowa)

Pete Mccluskey (California)

Connie Morella (Maryland)

Mike Parker (Mississippi)

Tom Petri (Wisconsin)

John Porter (Illinois)

Claudine Schneider (Rhode Island)

John “Joe” Schwarz (Michigan)

Chris Shays (Connecticut)

Peter Smith (Vermont)

Edward Weber (Ohio)

Vin Weber (Minnesota)

G. William Whitehorse (Virginia)

Dick Zimmer (New Jersey)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons