Former Heritage Foundation trustee goes viral with Harris endorsement

Career politician Mickey Edwards' endorsement of Kamala Harris has sparked intense backlash on social media and is one of the latest examples of a Republican going against the grain and has stirred up a nest of misinformation online.

Edwards is a lifelong conservative, a longtime Oklahoma legislator and a founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation, although he has not been involved with the group since the 1970s.

On social media, many have amplified Edwards' loose ties to the Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank that launched Project 2025, and some spread the false claim that Harris could be linked to the plan because of Edwards' support.

But in an interview with The Oklahoman, Edwards defended his support and explained why he is so passionately opposed not only to former President Donald Trump, but also because of Harris' qualifications for the job.

More:Longtime Oklahoma Republican Mickey Edwards is making waves with his endorsement of Kamala Harris

How is Mickey Edwards connected to the Heritage Foundation?

Edwards became a trustee of the Heritage Foundation when the group was founded in the 1970s, but has not been involved with the organization since the late '70s and early '80s. Even then, his involvement included attending some board meetings to discuss finances, Edwards said.

Still, Trump supporters on social media have used Edwards' loose connection to the Heritage Foundation to link Harris to Project 2025 and debunk claims that Trump is associated with the ultra-conservative political plan.

But Edwards has for years opposed Project 2025's goal of expanding presidential powers and overhauling several federal agencies, he said.

“Everything I’m working on is completely at odds with every idea in Project 2025 that would destroy the separation of powers, the heart of American democracy,” Edwards said.

Project 2025 is a 900-page policy recommendation document for the next Republican president that reflects the think tank's goal of “rescuing the country from the grip of the radical left.” The goal is to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, pressure the Food and Drug Administration to reverse approval of abortion pills, give Immigration and Customs Enforcement greater authority to deport undocumented immigrants, and specifically address LGBTQ+ issues and attacks to deal with “radical gender ideology”.

At least 31 of 38 authors are connected to Trump.

Why did Mickey Edwards support Kamala Harris?

In August, 200 Republicans who previously worked for either former President George W. Bush, the late Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) or Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) supported Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

Edwards urged Americans to vote for Harris because of the importance of foreign policy in an article published by the Philadelphia Inquirer. He wanted the recommendation to appear in this publication because Pennsylvania is a swing state, he told The Oklahoman.

The endorsement from across the aisle is reminiscent of a letter Edwards signed with 29 other former Republican congressmen in 2016 in which he publicly denounced then-presidential candidate Trump.

At the time, Edwards deemed Trump unfit to take office, and the former congressman hasn't changed his mind.

“I don’t think Donald Trump is smart enough to be president,” Edwards said. “He doesn't have the character and understanding to be president, and I think he poses a danger to American democracy, and that's because he has no regard for the fundamental institutions of our democracy, for the rule of law or separation of powers .” .”

Edwards makes it clear that he disapproves of the Republican nominee, but his support of the Democratic nominee doesn't just mean opposition to Trump, he said. It's also an endorsement of Harris' qualities.

“I have known Kamala for almost 20 years, I have traveled with Kamala. She is smart. She has the ability to stand up to such bullies.” [Vladimir] Putin or Xi [Jinping] or any of the other potential adversaries in the United States,” Edwards said. “She’s someone I really believe in.”

Unlike Harris, Trump is “completely incapable” of representing the United States in meetings with other government leaders, Edwards said.

“People like Putin, [Jinping] and Kim Jong Un, all you have to do is flatter [Trump]Edwards said. “Slap him on the head. Say, 'You're such a nice guy.' 'We love you,' and he'll do anything they want,” Edwards said.

“What’s good for America is more important than what’s good for the party.”

In September, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney endorsed Harris for U.S. president along with his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming.

“As citizens, we all have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Cheney said in his statement.

That sentiment resonates with Edwards, he said, and gets to the heart of what's at stake in this election cycle. The same sentiment is why Trump supporters are angry at Republicans who refuse to vote for Trump, often referring to them as RINOs, or “Republicans in Name Only.”

But Edwards said that these so-called “RINOs,” unlike staunch supporters of the former president, actually advocate for traditional Republican policies.

“Those who aren’t Republicans call us RINOs,” Edwards said. “They are not Republicans. You belong to a cult.”

The future of American institutional and constitutional democracy is at risk in this election, Edwards said, which is why he and other Republicans supported Harris despite political differences.

Former Heritage Foundation trustee goes viral with Harris endorsement

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Former Heritage Foundation trustee goes viral with Harris endorsement

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