In the midst of a tightly contested presidential race with Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump continues to quietly secure the endorsements for top political figures from the other side of the aisle.
These critical blessings could potentially swing undecided, or moderate, voters in Trump’s camp come November.
What’s the latest endorsement from the left?
According to The Hill, former Democratic Rep. Peter Deutsch of Florida publicly endorsed Trump on Monday, citing dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s approach to global conflicts.
“I feel very comfortable today publicly announcing that I’m endorsing Donald Trump to be reelected as president,” Deutsch said via The Hill.
“Driving force for me to make this decision is what I believe is the most important factor in being president, which is really world peace.”
“And I think that Kamala Harris and the Harris-Biden administration in terms of what they have done and are doing … make the world a dramatically less safe place,” Deutsch added.
SCOOP @J_Insider via @matthewkassel: Former Democratic congressman Peter Deutsch, who represented Florida in Congress from 1993-2005 (and ran for Senate), endorsed Trump for president today.https://t.co/7sARniDPNW
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) October 7, 2024
Deutsch served Florida’s 20th Congressional District for six terms from 1993-2005.
However, his endorsement in a critical state comes at a time when heightened global tensions are taking center stage during the election — specifically in the Middle East.
On the heels of Deutsch’s endorsement, Trump’s campaign criticized Biden and Harris for their perceived weak stance toward Iran, a known backer of Hamas, and for allegedly failing to sufficiently support Israel in its ongoing conflict with the Palestinian militant group, The Hill reported.
Additionally, Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst also criticized Biden and Harris for their Middle East policy on the anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, calling it “catastrophic.”
She attributed the ongoing regional chaos to their actions, such as criticizing Israel, delisting the Houthis as terrorists and appeasing Iran, according to a Daily Caller report.
The flood of Democratic support for Trump’s presidency continues to come in.
In addition to Deutsch, long time Democrat Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (who ran a brief campaign as an Independent), officially endorsed Trump back August.
Shortly after dropping out of the race, RFK Jr. joined Trump — a major shift in a tight election.
“It’s a very big deal because we’re talking about an election that will be decided by inches on the electoral map,” Republican strategist Ford O’Connell told The Hill.
Previously rivals, Trump expressed openness to Kennedy joining his team.
“I like him, and I respect him. He’s a brilliant guy. He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him for a very long time,” Trump said previously.
In addition to RFK, Jr., Trump also inked the endorsement of Tulsi Gabbard, who once ran for president under the Democratic ticket.
As previously report, Trump also secured the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the nation’s largest police union.
“Public safety and border security will be important issues in the last months of this campaign. Our members carefully considered the positions of the candidates on the issues and there was no doubt—zero doubt—as to who they want as our President for the next four years: Donald J. Trump,” FOP National President Patrick Yoes said when he announced the endorsement.
“During his first term, President Trump made it clear he supported law enforcement and border security. In the summer of 2020, he stood with us when very few would,” Yoes said. “With his help, we defeated the ‘defund the police’ movement and, finally, we are seeing crime rates decrease.”
“If we want to maintain these lower crime rates, we must re-elect Donald Trump.”