On Sunday, former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) officially endorsed Vice President Harris’s presidential campaign, cautioning that a return of former President Trump to the White House would jeopardize U.S. citizens and trigger global instability.
Riggleman’s endorsement was highlighted among several prominent Republicans supporting Harris, as announced during the launch of the “Republicans for Harris” initiative.
Former U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman expressed concern over Trump’s influence
Confirming his support, Riggleman posted on the social platform X, sharing the press release from “Republicans for Harris” with the caption, “I’m on here. Yep.”
He cited the events of January 6, 2021 — when a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol — as a key factor in his decision. Although Trump had previously endorsed Riggleman in two campaigns, Riggleman distanced himself from the former president after January 6.
Riggleman expressed concern over Trump’s influence, stating, “I’ve seen the data from J6. Trump & his minions are dangerous. The same folks who pushed J6 push Project 2025. A 2nd Trump term would endanger US citizens — and create global chaos.”
He added, “Sanity should be the baseline. Criminals should be discounted,” tagging the Republicans for Harris account in his message. The Harris campaign’s initiative began with endorsements from over 25 high-profile Republicans, including former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and other GOP lawmakers and governors.
Other remarkable endorsements came from Trump-era White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye, former national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, as well as former Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.), and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
The “Republicans for Harris” group aims to mobilize GOP voices to emphasize the importance of supporting Harris in the election. The campaign described this effort as a “campaign within a campaign,” with kickoff events scheduled in key battleground states like Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Austin Weatherford, Harris’s national director for Republican outreach, criticized Trump’s MAGA extremism as harmful to many Republicans who no longer feel represented by Trump, emphasizing that Harris’s campaign is working hard to earn their support in the fight to defend democracy.
