Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in an opinion piece published Thursday by The New York Times.
McChrystal became well known for his time leading American forces overseas and for submitting his resignation in 2010 to then-President Barack Obama after he made disparaging remarks about then-Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
In his opinion piece, the four-star general said he is backing Harris in the 2024 presidential race because he is voting not for policy positions, but for character.
“Some deeply consequential decisions are starkly simple,” McChrystal wrote. “That is how I view our upcoming presidential election. And that is why I have already cast my ballot for character — and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
“As a citizen, veteran and voter, I was not comfortable with many of the policy recommendations that Democrats offered at their convention in Chicago or those Republicans articulated in Milwaukee,” he said. “My views tend more toward the center of the political spectrum. And although I have opinions on high-profile issues, like abortion, gun safety and immigration, that’s not why I made my decision.”
McChrystal continued by saying that although “political narratives and policies matter,” his choice between Harris and former President Donald Trump was governed more by his assessment that the next president “must be more than a policymaker or a malleable reflection of the public’s passions.”
“She or he must lead — and that takes character,” he said. “Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land. The American revolutionary Thomas Paine is said to have written, ‘Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.’ Regardless of what a person says, character is ultimately laid bare in his or her actions. So I pay attention to what a leader does.”
Fortunately, McChrystal wrote, neither candidate in the upcoming election is unknown to the American people, as “we’ve had years to watch both closely.”
Each voter “must seriously contemplate” their choice of candidate and “apply the values we hope to find in our president, our nation and ourselves,” the general said.
“Uncritically accepting the thinking of others or being swayed by the roar of social media crowds is a mistake,” he wrote. “To turn a blind eye toward or make excuses for weak character from someone we propose to confer awesome power and responsibility on is to abrogate our role as citizens. We will get — and deserve — what we elect."
“I’ve thought deeply about my choice and considered what I’ve seen and heard and what I owe my three granddaughters,” McChrystal continued. “I’ve concluded that it isn’t political slogans or cultural tribalism; it is the best president my vote might help select. So I have cast my vote for character, and that vote is for Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Citing Harris’ “strength,” “temperament,” and “values,” McChrystal urged readers to vote as he has but stressed that whatever decision they ultimately make, “let it be thoughtfully considered, carefully reached and yours alone.”
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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