Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz ★ Endorsed Candidates
Democratic, Working Families
Age: 60
Occupation: Vice President of the United States
Education: Howard University, B.A., Hastings College, University of California, J.D.
Website: KamalaHarris.com
Donald J. Trump / JD Vance
Republican, Conservative
Age: 78
Occupation: The 45th President of the United States, serving from 2017 to 2021
Education: Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, B.S.
Website: DonaldJTrump.com
For more than 125 years, Citizens Union has been a non-partisan force for good government in New York, and it has made an essential part of its mission to express preferences for state and local candidates who share its values. Four years ago, given a consequential moment in the history of our city and country, we felt compelled to endorse for the first time in our history a candidate in the U.S. Presidential race. In endorsing his opponent, we noted that then-President Trump had eroded public confidence in our democratic institutions, failed to respect the rule of law, questioned the conduct of elections, and refused to say he would accept the results of the election, which we described as “destructive.”
Unfortunately, our predictions were proven correct. After losing the 2020 election, Trump refused to concede, pressured election officials to overturn the results, spread lies and misinformation about election fraud, and incited an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol to try to obstruct the certification of the electoral college vote on January 6, 2021.
Even today, Trump continues to try to delegitimize the electoral process in a manner never before seen in American history. To this day, he denies he lost the 2020 election, refuses to say if he will accept the results of the 2024 election, and trades in disinformation on how his rivals are “getting ready to cheat” in November and has even intimated, without any basis whatsoever, that Democrats are to blame for the attempt on his life. He proclaims there will be “massive fraud” warranting “the termination of the Constitution” in order to reinstate him as President.
Moreover, Trump undermines trust in democratic institutions here and abroad by repeatedly praising autocrats as “strong” and “smart” leaders. For example, his unwavering fealty to Vladimir Putin is deeply troubling, especially by what it portends for American support of democracies living under the fear of Russian aggression.
In addition, Trump poses a clear and imminent threat to the rule of law. He has said that under his administration, the Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute his political enemies, often framing it as “retribution” against Democrats. Trump threatens to subject them to “long-term prison sentences,” saying they will be “sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels never seen before in our country.” He has also called for “one real rough, nasty” and “violent day” of retaliation. No democracy can have a leader who pledges to weaponize the justice system. Trump tried to do that before, including when he lost the 2020 election. Fortunately, his efforts were rebuffed by Justice Department officials poised to resign en masse if he insisted on his way. But we’re reminded of the words of Maya Angelou: “When somebody shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has devoted most of her career to the justice system as a prosecutor, District Attorney, and State Attorney General. She has a life-long commitment to maintaining the rule of law. She has pledged to respect the peaceful transfer of power. Moreover, as Vice President, she led the effort to pass two major voting rights bills, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. These measures were intended to increase and protect voting access for marginalized communities and end partisan gerrymandering. She also supported the Electoral Count Reform Act, which reformed the process by which electoral college votes are certified by Congress.
For over a century, democracy has been Citizens Union’s business. We cannot sit on the sidelines when our democracy is once again at stake. We therefore urge voters to vote for Kamala Harris for President and reject the threat to our democracy that Donald Trump presents.