Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman may be a Republican, but that doesn’t mean she is supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Whitman said on Tuesday that she will not vote for Trump and that she urges every Republican to reject him for the upcoming November presidential election. She said she would cross party lines and vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton instead.
The Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE -1.47% CEO cited numerous reasons for not supporting Trump, including what she perceives are “Trump’s reckless and uninformed positions” on immigration, the national economy, and foreign policy.
“To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division,” Whitman said in a statement. “Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character.”
Whitman’s decision to publicly denounce Trump’s bid for the presidency is noteworthy considering Whitman’s history with politics. In February, Whitman accompanied New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for a week when Christie was campaigning in New Hampshire prior to the state’s presidential primary. She also supported Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential election, and ran for governor of California in 2010.
“I will vote for Hillary, I will talk to my Republican friends about helping her, and I will donate to her campaign and try to raise money for her,” Whitman told The New York Times.
She told the newspaper she believes it is time for Republicans “to put country first before party.”
Here’s Whitman’s full statement on Trump:
As a proud Republican, casting my vote for President has usually been a simple matter. This year is different. To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division. Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character.
Trump’s reckless and uninformed positions on critical issues – from immigration to our economy to foreign policy – have made it abundantly clear that he lacks both the policy depth and sound judgment required as President. Trump’s unsteady hand would endanger our prosperity and national security. His authoritarian character could threaten much more.
Therefore, I have decided to support Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is clear to me that Secretary Clinton’s temperament, global experience and commitment to America’s bedrock national values make her the far better choice in 2016 for President of the United States. In a tumultuous world, America needs the kind of stable and aspirational leadership Secretary Clinton can provide. I urge all Republicans to reject Donald Trump this November.
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