PHILADELPHIA — #NeverTrump Republicans plan to make waves by disavowing GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in a speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention.
Lifelong Republican Doug Elmets, a former Reagan administration speechwriter and domestic adviser, said Monday he sees Mr. Trump as a “petulant reality TV star.”
“I never anticipated supporting a Democrat, but Hillary Clinton is certainly the most prepared candidate probably in modern times to be president,” Mr. Elmets said in a video interview with The Sacramento Bee. “And given the alternative of a petulant reality TV star candidate in Donald Trump, the decision was very easy.”
Mr. Elmets has made no secret of his opposition to Mr. Trump — he denounced the billionaire businessman in a May 31 interview with CNN — but unlike other prominent #NeverTrumpers, he has taken his antagonism a step further by championing Mrs. Clinton.
“I feel like I am using this opportunity to do what is best for this country,” he said.
Those who cross party lines to speak at the competing convention are rare but not unheard of. The best-known example may be former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who irked Democrats in 2008 when he endorsed GOP presidential nominee John McCain in a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention.
Mr. Elmets, who has said that “four years of Hillary Clinton is better than one day of Donald Trump as president,” is also touting his appearance on social media.
“Hope you’ll watch Thursday evening #RepublicansforHillary,” he said in a Monday post on Twitter.
Mr. Elmets’ dedication to Republicans didn’t end with his work for President Ronald Reagan. Since then, Mr. Elmets has worked as a Sacramento-based Republican consultant and operative.
His friends “think I’ve lost my mind,” Mr. Elmets told CNN, but said he was convinced that Mr. Trump has “managed to hoodwink America into believing that he will lead this country through the fire.
“I think he will thrust us into the fire,” Mr. Elmerts said.
Mr. Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination last week at the party’s convention in Cleveland.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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