The only daughter of former Republican President Gerald Ford endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Susan Ford Bales is a registered Republican and admitted she “probably wouldn’t agree with some policy issues” pushed by the vice president.
But ultimately, he believed that Harris’ “integrity and commitment to those same principles that guided Dad have led me to conclude” that she should be in the White House instead of Donald Trump.
“She recognizes the good and the greatness of our country,” Ford Bales said.
‘I know you will defend the rule of law and our Constitution. And I know he will work to unite all Americans and move us beyond partisanship.
“That’s what America deserves from our president.”
Susan Ford Bales, daughter of late Republican President Gerald Ford, endorses Kamala Harris for president
Her endorsement is a significant victory for Harris in one of the seven battleground states.
Ford was Michigan’s only president and was propelled to the White House when Richard Nixon resigned in 1973 in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
“When my father, Gerald Ford, was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States, the nation needed a serious, compassionate and honorable leader who would have the courage to do the right thing and always defend our Constitution,” Ford Bales added. in his statement.
“His dedication to those values helped lead our country through a turbulent time and restored Americans’ confidence in our democracy.”
Susan Ford Bales standing far left behind her parents, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford, at the White House in June 1975.
Susan Ford Bales speaking at the United States Capitol at the dedication ceremony for her father’s statue in May 2011. Seated behind her are then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Her endorsement comes as the vice president returns to Michigan on Monday to court moderate Republicans and independent voters this week with a series of events alongside former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney.
Earlier on Monday, Harris and Cheney had a discussion moderated by Republican strategist Sarah Longwell in suburban Chester County, Pennsylvania.
There, Cheney argued, despite their political differences, Harris will defend the Constitution.
The congresswoman also gave her closing speech for crossing the aisle to vote for the vice president.
“I think in this election, and especially here in Pennsylvania, we have an opportunity to tell the entire world who we are, and we have an opportunity to say that we are going to reject the cruelty, we are going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we have seen from Donald Trump,” Cheney said.
“We are going to reject the misogyny that we have seen with Donald Trump and JD Vance,” he added.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in a moderated conversation with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania on Monday. Harris and Cheney are holding events in battleground states as the vice president courts moderate Republicans and independents to vote for her in November.
In Michigan, Harris will speak to Oakland County voters in another conversation with Cheney as she continues her outreach to undecided voters.
The vice president and former congresswoman are targeting Republican voters who voted for Nikki Haley as part of their outreach effort.
More than 300,000 Michigan voters chose Haley in the Republican presidential primary over Trump. Democrats are trying to woo them to expand their coalition for November.
President Gerald Ford with his daughter Susan and their dog outside the White House.
In his endorsement, Ford Bales said the United States now faces a “similar dynamic” to what the country faced when his father helped lead the country after Watergate.
“America cannot return to a divisive paradigm of mutual hatred and disdain for our Constitution,” he said in his statement.
The former first daughter noted the “horrors” of the Jan. 6 attack.
He said the forces that incited him must be held accountable and never put in a position of power to do so again.
‘W“We can never allow that tragedy to be repeated,” he said.