CHICAGO — In a brief but fiery message, the former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan -- who is a Republican -- shared why he is backing Vice President Kamala Harris this November.
Duncan, surrounded by a room full of Harris' supporters, stood on the stage of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, criticizing former President Donald Trump.
"I realized Trump was a direct threat to democracy, and his actions disqualified him from ever, ever, ever stepping foot in the Oval Office again," Duncan said.
He said his message wasn't for the Democrats in the room but rather for Republicans and Independents.
"If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative. It's chaotic and crazy, and the only thing left to do is dump Trump," he said. "These days, our party acts more like a cult, a cult worshipping a felonist thug."
He said while he doesn't agree with all of Harris' positions, he described her as a "steady hand" who knows right from wrong. He also shared an anecdote about how in 2020, his son reminded him of a phrase that Duncan said his family uses as a motto: "doing the right thing will never be the wrong thing."
This is not the first time Duncan has been outspoken about disagreeing with the current direction of the Republican Party.
The former lieutenant governor played a key role in withstanding the pressure campaign by the Trump Administration to call a special session to swing the outcome of the Georgia election results in the former president's favor. Since then, Duncan has been highly critical of Trump and the party.
In May, Duncan announced that he would vote for President Joe Biden over former President Trump. Then, late last month, he reaffirmed his commitment to voting blue in November, even after Biden dropped out of the race. The former state official previously said he would be voting for Harris, saying he is "committed to beating Donald Trump."
He doubled down on that message at the DNC on Wednesday.
"Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home watching, if you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you're not a Democrat, you're a patriot."