In a big first, Republican congressman says he's voting for Hillary Clinton
On Tuesday, Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) became the first Republican member of the House to openly admit he will be voting for Hillary Clinton for president, in a move that prioritizes defeating Donald Trump over party loyalty. "I think Trump is a national embarrassment. Is he really the guy you want to have the nuclear codes?" Hanna told Syracuse.com, adding that the Republican nominee is "unfit to serve our party and cannot lead this country."
In a separate op-ed published on the site, Hanna outlined his exact reasons for his decision. "While I disagree with her on many issues, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton," Hanna wrote. "I will be hopeful and resolute in my belief that being a good American who loves his country is far more important than parties or winning and losing."
Hanna, notably, will be retiring this year and thus does not face the pressure of a reelection race. However, this is not the first time he has taken a stance different from that of his party: Talking Points Memo reported Hanna "supports same-sex marriage and rejects certain limitations on abortion."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign


