Rep. Richard Hanna, a New York Republican retiring at the end of his term, announced on Tuesday that he is voting for Hillary Clinton, saying Donald Trump “cannot lead this country” and criticizing Mr. Trump’s recent attacks on the family of a fallen U.S. soldier.
“While I disagree with her on many issues, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton,” Mr. Hanna wrote in a piece posted online to newyorkupstate.com.
Some Republicans have said publicly they can’t vote for Mr. Trump, but Mr. Hanna could be one of the first sitting GOP members of Congress to explicitly state that he or she will actually vote for Mrs. Clinton, rather than look for another option or sit out the election entirely.
In the letter, Mr. Hanna points out that he said months ago he could never support Mr. Trump.
“I do not expect perfection, but I do require more than the embodiment of at least a short list of the seven deadly sins,” Mr. Hanna wrote Tuesday.
“In his latest foray of insults, Mr. Trump has attacked the parents of a slain U.S. soldier. Where do we draw the line?” he wrote.
“I thought it would have been when he alleged that U.S. Sen. John McCain was not a war hero because he was caught,” Mr. Hanna wrote.
“Or the countless other insults he’s proudly lobbed from behind the Republican presidential podium,” he wrote. “For me, it is not enough to simply denounce his comments: He is unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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