Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign stop in Orlando, Fla. (Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

Seventy-five former ambassadors, including 57 appointed by Republican presidents, released a letter Thursday endorsing Hillary Clinton and criticizing Donald Trump as “entirely unqualified” for the office.

“As career officers, we have served every President since Harry Truman, and have proudly represented every President since Richard Nixon as ambassadors or senior State Department officials in Senate-confirmed positions,” the letter obtained by Yahoo News reads. “We have served Republican and Democratic Presidents with pride and enthusiasm.” The Washington Post also reported on the letter.

But the diplomats said this election is different, with one candidate “unqualified” to serve in part because his rhetoric has “comforted our enemies.” They highlighted Trump’s praise and “admiration” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the mogul’s recent remark that U.S. generals have been “reduced to rubble” under President Obama.

One of the career diplomats who signed the letter, Ryan Crocker, was picked by George W. Bush to be his ambassador to Pakistan and then Iraq. Another of the group, Daniel Kurtzer, was Bush’s pick for ambassador to Israel.

Trump, they wrote, is “ignorant of the complex nature of the challenges facing our country, from Russia to China to ISIS to nuclear proliferation to refugees to drugs, but he has expressed no interest in being educated. In his frequent statements about foreign countries and their citizens, from our closest friends to our most problematic competitors, Mr. Trump has expressed the most ignorant stereotypes of those countries; has inflamed their people; and has insulted our allies and comforted our enemies.”

The letter comes a day after 15 retired generals and admirals released a video endorsing Clinton, part of a broader push by the Clinton campaign to make inroads among conservative voters turned off by Trump. The former secretary of state has been endorsed by 110 retired military officials, while Trump has been endorsed by 120. Clinton has also picked up public endorsements from dozens of former Republican politicians and national security experts, while privately, former President George H.W. Bush is reportedly voting for her.

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Read Thursday’s letter below:

STATEMENT BY FORMER CAREER AMBASSADORS AND SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS

The undersigned have each previously served the people of the United States as career diplomats in our nation’s Foreign and Civil Services. We have each had the privilege of being nominated by the President, and confirmed by the United States Senate, to represent our nation abroad and at the highest levels of our foreign policy and security organizations.

Together, we have represented the United States as ambassadors in 52 countries or international organizations. We have hundreds of years of combined service.

As career officers, we have served every President since Harry Truman, and have proudly represented every President since Richard Nixon as ambassadors or senior State Department officials in Senate-confirmed positions. We have served Republican and Democratic Presidents with pride and enthusiasm.

None of us will vote for Donald J. Trump.

Each of us endorses Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. Because the stakes in this election are so high, this is the first time many of us have publicly endorsed a candidate for President.

Very simply, this election is different from any election we can recall. One of the candidates — Donald J. Trump — is entirely unqualified to serve as President and Commander-in-Chief. He is ignorant of the complex nature of the challenges facing our country, from Russia to China to ISIS to nuclear proliferation to refugees to drugs, but he has expressed no interest in being educated. Indeed he has recently demonstrated he entirely misunderstands and disrespects the role of the very officials who could educate him: the senior career officers of our intelligence services and of our military services (whom he has characterized as “rubble”).

In his frequent statements about foreign countries and their citizens, from our closest friends to our most problematic competitors, Mr. Trump has expressed the most ignorant stereotypes of those countries; has inflamed their people; and has insulted our allies and comforted our enemies. Shockingly, he has even offered praise and admiration for Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia whose international activities and reported intrusions into our democratic political process have been among the most damaging actions taken by any foreign leader since the end of World War Two.

We fear the damage that such ineptitude could cause in our closest relationships as well as the succor it might offer our enemies.

By contrast, Hillary Clinton’s handling of foreign affairs has consistently sought to advance fundamental US interests with a deep grounding in the work of the many tens of thousands of career officers on whom our national security depends. Not every one of us has agreed with every decision she made (and the same would be true of every one of her predecessors), but we have profound respect for her skills, dedication, intelligence, and diplomacy.

In this election there is only one team to represent our nation and lead our career foreign policy and security professionals in a manner befitting our role as the world’s sole superpower. Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are the candidates we support.

Signatories

1. Morton Abramowitz — Ambassador to Turkey (1989—1991), Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (1985—1989), and Ambassador to Thailand (1978—1981)

2. Frank Almaguer — Ambassador to Honduras (1999—2002)

3. Diego Asencio — Ambassador to Brazil (1983—1986), Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs (1980—1983), Ambassador to Colombia (1977—1980)

4. Robert Beecroft — Ambassador and Head of Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001—2004)

5. Robert O. Blake – Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs (2009—2013), Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (2006—2009), Indonesia (2014—present)

6. Charles Richard Bowers — Ambassador to Bolivia (1991—1994)

7. Robert Bradtke — Ambassador to Croatia (2006—2009)

8. Aurelia E. Brazeal — Ambassador to Ethiopia (2002—2005), Kenya (1993—1996), Federated States of Micronesia (1990—1993)

9. Sue K. Brown — Ambassador to Montenegro (2011—2014)

10. Susan Burk — Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation

11. A. Peter Burleigh — Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (1995—1997)

12. Nicholas Burns — Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Ambassador to Greece

13. Patricia Butenis — Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (2009—2012) and Bangladesh (2006—2007)

14. Johnnie Carson — Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2009—2013), Ambassador to Kenya (1999—2003), Zimbabwe (1995—1997), Uganda (1991—1994)

15. Carey Cavanaugh — Ambassador/Special Negotiator for Nagorno—Karabakh and New Independent States Regional Conflicts (2000—2001)

16. Wendy Chamberlin — Ambassador to Pakistan (2001—2002) and Laos (1996—1999)

17. Peter Chaveas — Ambassador to Sierra Leone (2001—2004), and Malawi (1994—1997)

18. Marion Creekmore, Jr. — Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (1989—1992)

19. Ryan Crocker – Ambassador to Lebanon (1990—1993), Kuwait (1994—1997), Syria (1998—2001), Pakistan (2004—2007), Iraq (2007—2009), Afghanistan (2011—2012)

20. James B. Cunningham — Ambassador to Afghanistan (2012—2014), Israel (2008—2011), United Nations (2001)

21. Jeffrey Davidow — Ambassador to Mexico (1998—2002), Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs (1996—1998), Ambassador to Venezuela (1993—1996), Zambia (1988—1990)

22. John Dinger — Ambassador to Mongolia (2000—2003)

23. Nancy Ely—Raphel — Ambassador to Slovenia (1998—2001)

24. Robert W. Farrand — Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands (1990—1993)

25. Robert P. Finn — Ambassador to Afghanistan (2002—2003), Tajikistan (1999—2001)

26. Robert Fitts — Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands (2003—2006)

27. Robert S. Gelbard — Ambassador to Indonesia (1999—2001), Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters (1993—1997), Ambassador to Bolivia (1988—1991)

28. Edward “Skip” Gnehm — Ambassador to Jordan (2001—2004), Australia (2000—2001), Kuwait (1991—1994)

29. Marc Grossman — Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2001—2005), Ambassador to Turkey (1995—1997), Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs (1997—2000)

30. Maura Harty — Ambassador to Paraguay (1997—1999), Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs (2002—2008)

31. Thomas C. Hubbard — Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2001—2004) and the Philippines (1996—2000)

32. Edmund J. Hull — Ambassador to Yemen (2001—2004)

33. Cameron R. Hume — Ambassador to Indonesia (2007—2010), Sudan (2005—2007), South Africa (2001—2004), Algeria (1997—2000)

34. William H. Itoh — Ambassador to Thailand (1995—1999)

35. Dennis Jett — Ambassador to Peru (1996—1999) and Mozambique (1993—1996)

36. Linda Jewell — Ambassador to Ecuador (2005—2008)

37. A. Elizabeth Jones — Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia (2003), Ambassador to Kazakhstan (1995—1997)

38. James Keith — Ambassador to Malaysia (2007—2010)

39. Laura Kennedy — Ambassador to Turkmenistan (2001—2003)

40. Thomas C. Krajeski — Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen (2004—2007), Kingdom of Bahrain (2011—2014)

41. Daniel C. Kurtzer — Ambassador to Israel (2001—2005), Egypt (1998—2001)

42. Alphonse F. La Porta – Ambassador to Mongolia (1997—2000)

43. Chris LaFleur — Ambassador to Malaysia (2005—2007)

44. Edward Gibson Lanpher — Ambassador to Zimbabwe (1991—1995)

45. Michael Lemmon — Ambassador to Armenia (1998—2001)

46. James G. Lowenstein — Ambassador to Luxembourg (1977—1981)

47. John Maisto — Ambassador to the Organization of American States (2003—2006), Venezuela (1997—2000), and Nicaragua (1993—1996)

48. Edward Marks — Ambassador to Cape Verde (1977—1980), and Guinea—Bissau (1977—1980)

49. Marshall McCallie — Ambassador to Namibia (1993—1996)

50. Jackson McDonald — Ambassador to Guinea (2004—2007), The Gambia (2001—2004)

51. Thomas J. Miller — Ambassador to Greece (2001—2004), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999—2001)

52. William Green Miller — Ambassador to Ukraine (1993—1998)

53. Mark Minton — Ambassador to Mongolia (2006—2009)

54. B. Lynn Pascoe — Ambassador to Indonesia (2004—2007), and Malaysia (1998—2001)

55. June Perry — Ambassador to Sierra Leone (2007—2010), and Lesotho (2004—2007)

56. Donald K. Petterson — Ambassador to Sudan (1992—1995), Tanzania (1986—1989), and Somalia (1978—1982)

57. Thomas R. Pickering – Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1997—2000), Ambassador to Russia (1993—1996), India (1992—1993), United Nations (1989—1992), Israel (1985—1988), El Salvador (1983—1985), Nigeria (1981—1983), Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (1978—1981), Ambassador to Jordan (1974—1978)

58. Nicholas Platt — Ambassador to Pakistan (1991—1992), Philippines (1987—1991), Zambia (1982—1985)

59. Nancy Powell — Ambassador to India (2012—2014), Nepal (2007—2010), Pakistan (2002—2004), Ghana (2001—2002), Uganda (1997—1999)

60. Phyllis Powers — Ambassador to Nicaragua (2012—2015), and Panama (2010—2012)

61. Charles A. Ray — Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2009—2012), Cambodia (2002—2005)

62. Thomas B. Robertson — Ambassador to Slovenia (2004—2007)

63. Howard B. Schaffer — Ambassador to Bangladesh (1984—1987)

64. Teresita C. Schaffer — Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (1992—1995)

65. Ints M. Silins — Ambassador to Latvia (1992—1995)

66. Thomas W. Simons, Jr. — Ambassador to Pakistan (1996—1998) and Poland (1990—1993)

67. Kathleen Stephens — Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008—2011)

68. Gordon L. Streeb — Ambassador to Zambia (1990—1993)

69. Nicholas Veliotes — Ambassador to Egypt (1984—1986), Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (1981—1984), and Ambassador to Jordan (1978—1981)

70. Edward S. Walker, Jr. – Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2000—2001), Ambassador to Israel (1997—1999), Egypt (1994—1997), United Arab Emirates (1989—1992)

71. Alexander F. Watson — Ambassador to Peru (1986—1989), Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs (1993—1996)

72. E. Ashley Wills — Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Republic of Maldives (2000—2003)

73. Kenneth Yalowitz — Ambassador to Georgia (1998—2001) and Belarus (1994—1997)

74. Johnny Young — Ambassador to Slovenia (2001—2004), Kingdom of Bahrain (1997—2001), Togo (1994—1997), Sierra Leone (1989—1992)

75. Stephen M. Young — Ambassador to Kyrgyz Republic (2003—2005)