Former GOP Rep. Charlie Dent endorses Joe Biden
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Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Penn.) said on Wednesday that he will be voting for Joe Biden over President Trump in November, telling CNN: "At the end of the day, this really isn't about right or left. It's not about ideology. ... For me, it's about right or wrong."
Why it matters: Dent, who represented the key swing state of Pennsylvania in Congress before retiring in 2018, is one of a number of former Republican officials who have come out against Trump during the week of the Democratic National Convention.
- Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the late Sen. John McCain's wife Cindy are among those who have spoken at the DNC in support of Biden this week.
- Dent said that he doesn't know if these GOP endorsements will have an impact on voters, but that there are "many Republicans" who agree with him that "we have to talk about broader principles here rather than just an immediate policy victory."
What he's saying: "For me, it's about right or wrong. Stability vs. instability, security vs. insecurity, normal vs. abnormal. That's why I'm doing this because I feel that we need to return some sense of normalcy to the function of government. We simply don't have that now. And that's why I'm going to be voting for Joe Biden for president."
- "There are greater principles involved like the rule of law. We have to defend democratic values. And I say democratic with a small "D." A free press, an independent judiciary. These are things that are very important."
- "And the president has been trying to undermine those things. And I think that, again, we have to talk about broader principles here rather than just an immediate policy victory."
What to watch: Dent said he thinks it's "improbable" that Trump wins Pennsylvania again because the "suburban erosion for Republicans has been dramatic since the president was elected."
Go deeper: The top Republicans who aren't voting for Trump in 2020
