Richard Cross, a lifelong Republican who wrote a powerful speech for the mother of a Benghazi victim at the Republican National Convention, wrote in an op-ed that he still might vote for Hillary Clinton. | Getty Benghazi mom speechwriter reveals he might vote for Clinton

The lifelong Republican who wrote the powerful speech delivered by the mother of one of the Benghazi victims says he won’t vote for Donald Trump this fall and could end up voting for Hillary Clinton.

Richard Cross, a former staff member for Maryland Republicans such as former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and former Rep. Helen Bentley, wrote in a Baltimore Sun op-ed that he penned the scathing remarks delivered by Patricia Smith, whose son Sean was killed in the 2012 Benghazi attack. Smith, delivering Cross’ speech, asked the Cleveland crowd "If Hillary Clinton can't give us the truth, why should we give her the presidency?"


Despite what he wrote in Smith’s speech about Clinton, Cross said he “may yet have to vote for her because of the epic deficiencies of my own party's nominee.” The GOP speechwriter said the deal-breaker on Trump was his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., a plan the Manhattan billionaire has modified in recent weeks in favor of a ban on immigrants from certain countries.

“President Eisenhower would have never proposed banning Muslims from America. Nor would President Nixon. Nor would President Reagan,” Cross wrote. “Donald Trump has betrayed and perverted their legacies. Consequently, I no longer recognize my party.”

Cross called November’s general election “a citizenship election” and likened it to historic campaigns where supporters of civil rights were obligated to “stand up and be counted.” With a vote for Trump ruled out, Cross said he is left with only two options: Vote for Clinton, whom he called “the most divisive political figure in the past 25 years,” or “throw away his vote” on the “kooky” libertarian ticket of Gov. Gary Johnson and Gov. Bill Weld.

“The divisions in our national discourse are great, and there is no political hero waiting to rescue us from ourselves,” Cross wrote. “Instead, we're confronted by the awful spectacle of a ‘Mothra versus Godzilla’ election. And, just like in the movies, no matters who wins, Tokyo suffers.”