Former Iowa Rep. Ken Rizer discloses bolt from GOP in wake of Trump's summit with Russia's Putin

William Petroski | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Putin denies Russian interference in US election Speaking at a joint news conference with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I had to repeat that the Russian state never interfered, and does not plan to interfere in internal American electoral process." (July 16)

Former Iowa Rep. Ken Rizer, a retired Air Force pilot and commander, said Monday he's leaving the Republican Party over President Donald Trump's "misguided leadership."

Rizer, 53, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy who rose to colonel during his career, disclosed his party switch on Facebook in the wake of Trump's controversial summit meeting in Helsinki with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, Trump declined to endorse a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 American presidential election, saying he didn't see "any reason why" Russia would be responsible.

MORE: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley criticizes Trump, saying 'Putin isn’t a friend to the United States'

"(Former national security adviser) H.R. McMaster wrote a fabulous book called Dereliction of Duty, which outlined how the Joint Chiefs failed to step up and oppose President (Lyndon) Johnson’s disastrous Vietnam War policy. Military officers read and studied this book, presumably so that we wouldn’t repeat similar mistakes," Rizer wrote.

"We’re at another such moment in our foreign affairs where people of character in this administration need to speak up or resign," Rizer added. "As for me, I can no longer call myself a Republican given the erratic and misguided leadership of the president. I will always be a (Ronald) Reagan conservative, but find no place for such views in Trump’s World. Until the Republican Party recovers its values, my party affiliation will be 'No Party.'"

Rizer, who served four sessions in the Iowa House while residing in Marion in eastern Iowa, resigned his seat in May because he accepted a new job flying jet aircraft out of Des Moines for a private air travel company. He had said in 2016 that he would not vote for Trump.

Editor's note: Since this story was published on July 16, 2018, the Des Moines Register has learned that Rizer switched his voter registration in Marshall County from Republican to "No Party" on June 18, 2018, nearly a month before Trump's summit with Putin. The date of his party switch was confirmed by Marshall County election officials. This article has been updated to reflect the date of the party-switch. Rizer now resides in Marshalltown.