One Of America’s Most Consequential Lawyers Officially Endorses Kamala Harris For President

(Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

I am the only lawyer in American history to serve both as White House counsel and as attorney general. So, while that does not make me special, it does give me a rather unique perspective about presidential decision-making and the necessity of electing a president who respects the rule of law to safeguard our liberties and way of life.

The American presidency is the most powerful position in the world. Of course, our constitution and laws, as well as institutions such as Congress and our courts, act as guardrails to that power. The law provides the certainty of accountability and fundamental fairness. Yet it is the president’s integrity, honesty and respect for our institutions that may be the most important and reliable check on abuses of power.

As the United States approaches a critical election, I can’t sit quietly as Donald Trump — perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation — eyes a return to the White House. For that reason, though I’m a Republican, I’ve decided to support Kamala Harris for president.

— Alberto R. Gonzales, who previously served as U.S. attorney general and counsel to the president in the George W. Bush administration, endorsing Kamala Harris in an opinion piece published by Politico. “It is telling … that several senior officials who worked for [Trump] in the White House now refuse to support him, including his vice president, chief of staff, defense secretary and national security adviser,” Gonzales wrote. “Their unwillingness to endorse their former boss is an indictment of his character at a level equal to his many, many criminal indictments.”

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.