Today in Fox News, Republican and former Bush Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman endorsed Kamala Harris for President. In her endorsement, Veneman cited the Harris-Walz campaign’s “bold vision” and slammed Donald Trump’s tax hikes as “dangerous for rural America.”

“Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.”

“[The Harris-Walz] plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families.”

This endorsement builds on the historic momentum behind the campaign’s Republicans for Harris outreach efforts, with recent endorsements from more than 100 Republican former national security officials300 Reagan, Bush, Romney, and McCain alumni; a dozen former Reagan aides120 Arizona Republicans; several former Nikki Haley campaign staffers; and a dozen White House lawyers who served under Republican presidents. 

The growing list of Republicans who are putting country over party this November also includes former Vice President Dick Cheney; former Congresswoman Liz Cheney; former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake; former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum; former U.S. Attorney General and White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales; son of the late Senator John McCain, Jim McCain; Retired Four-Star General Larry Ellis; former Trump administration officials Olivia TroyeCassidy HutchinsonStephanie Grisham, and Anthony Scaramucci; former Congressman Adam Kinzinger; and former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan

Secretary Veneman’s endorsement follows the release of the Harris-Walz Plan for Rural America. Last week, Governor Walz traveled to rural communities across the country to discuss these important policy priorities, including:

  • Increasing access to affordable and high-quality health care in rural communities—by adding 10,000 health care professionals, expanding telemedicine, cutting the number of ambulance deserts in half, and keeping rural pharmacies and hospitals open. 
  • Supporting the sandwich generation to care for elders at home, lowering the cost of childcare and increasing the number of providers, and expanding the Child Tax Credit to provide tax cuts up to $6,000 for families with newborns.
  • Lowering the costs of buying a home, internet access, starting and expanding a business, and raising a family—by sparking the construction of 3 million new housing units, providing up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, increasing the small business tax deduction for startup expenses 10-fold to $50,000.
  • Investing in the future of American agriculture by boosting access to credit, land, and markets, building new markets and streams of income for small- and mid-sized farmers and producers, supporting small farmers standing up to agricultural monopolies, and supporting the rise of the next generation of American farmers and ranchers.

Read more about the endorsement below: 

Fox News: ‘Bold vision’: Historic Bush Cabinet secretary makes key endorsement in 2024 presidential race

[Paul Steinhauser, 10/23/24]

  • FIRST ON FOX: A top official in then-President George W. Bush’s administration, who made history as the nation’s first female Department of Agriculture secretary, is the latest leading Republican to back Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump.
  • And the endorsement of the vice president by Ann Veneman – shared first with Fox News on Wednesday – comes as the Harris campaign continues its efforts to court Republicans who didn’t support Trump during this year’s GOP nomination race – and as the campaign aims to cut into  the former president’s support among rural voters.
  • “As our nation stands at a critical juncture, the upcoming presidential election presents a stark contrast in leadership and values, particularly for rural communities and agriculture,” Veneman said in a statement.
  • Veneman, who grew up on a peach farm in California and also made history as the first female U.S. deputy secretary of Agriculture – in President George H.W. Bush’s administration – and the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, argued that “Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.”
  • And pointing to proposals by Harris and her running mate – Minnesota Gov. Tim  Walz – Veneman emphasized that “their plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families.  Together, they offer the leadership we need to help agriculture and rural America thrive.”
  • Walz last week highlighted the Harris campaign’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters, which include proposals to recruit 10,000 new healthcare professionals in rural and tribal areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and new grant programs. 
  • The Harris campaign aims to put a dent in Trump’s strong support in rural communities. The former president carried rural voters by a nearly two-to-one margin in the 2020 election, according to a Fox News voter analysis.
  • Veneman, with her endorsement, also becomes the latest high ranking member of former President George W. Bush’s administration to back Harris. At the top of that lis is former Vice President Dick Cheney.
  • And Veneman’s endorsement comes two days after Harris campaigned in three key battleground states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – with Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
  • The younger Cheney, once a rising conservative star in the GOP, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power.
  • While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states.
  • The Harris campaign is courting such voters with on-the-ground events and through paid media efforts.
  • At a campaign event last week in Pennsylvania where Harris was joined by leading anti-Trump Republicans – including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan – the vice president was introduced by lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans Bob and Kristina Lange.
  • The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. [..]
  • But in a Fox News Digital interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re behind you.’ They’re thanking us for what we’re doing. They’re thanking us for being brave because many people are afraid to speak out against Trump because of revenge and other things like that.”
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