Getty Former Bush defense official to endorse Clinton: 'There is no choice'

Hillary Clinton will get the endorsement of another official from a Republican presidential administration on Wednesday, her campaign said, as the Democratic nominee delivers a speech on American exceptionalism at the American Legion's national convention in Cincinnati.

“Secretary Clinton has demonstrated her skills as Secretary of State, especially but by no means exclusively in helping other Asian countries counter Chinese bullying in the western Pacific," James Clad, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense under President George W. Bush, said in a statement released through the campaign. "For Republicans and Democrats alike, everything in national security requires clarity and steadiness, whether managing nuclear weapons or balancing great power rivalries. Never losing sight of the national interest is key – a discipline which Secretary Clinton possesses in full measure."


The United States' adversaries, Clad continued, "must never hear flippancy or ignorance in America’s voice." While Clad did not mention Donald Trump by name, he characterized Republican nominee "incompetent" and an "incoherent amateur" whose presidency "will doom us to second or third class status."

"In my career, I’ve seen close-up what happens when American reliability falters. It’s not pretty, for us or for the world," Clad said in the statement. "There is no choice: In razor sharp contrast to her opponent, Secretary Clinton is ready, steady and prepared. With a proven preference for bipartisanship, she must win this election.”

Clad is the latest former Republican administration official to endorse Clinton over Trump, following the likes of Richard Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state under George W. Bush, and Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser under Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.