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No, not him. His daughter, Caroline Rose Giuliani, who yesterday published an op-ed that is equal parts sad and hopeful.
Roughly half of the piece is a blistering condemnation, not of her father, but of Donald Trump and what he's done to her father. She says she still loves her father, and although she does not use this exact word, she writes about him like someone who's lost a family member to a cult:
As Rudy Giuliani's daughter, I'm unfortunately well-suited to remind Americans of just how calamitous being associated with Trump can be, even for those who are convinced he's on their side. Watching my dad's life crumble since he joined forces with Trump has been extraordinarily painful, both on a personal level and because his demise feels linked to a dark force that threatens to once again consume America. Not to disregard individual accountability in the slightest, but it would be naive for us to ignore the fact that many of those closest to Trump have descended into catastrophic downward spirals. If we let Trump back into the driver's seat this fall, our country will be no exception.
The younger Giuliani also notes that a second Trump presidency might be seen as a good thing for her dad (you know, pardons and the like), but in her view, Trump's ultimate defeat is the only way his spell over her father might be broken.
The other half of the op-ed is an affirmative case for Kamala Harris. For example:
Even though the last few years have been some of the most difficult of my life on a personal level, I'm grateful to live in a country that came together once before to fire a burgeoning tyrant. Watching Harris reignite the torch that Biden selflessly passed to her has filled me with optimism and pride. She has the experience, intelligence, and fortitude to lead us to a brighter future, and seeing her hold Trump accountable in the debate only further confirms her ability to defend us from our most dangerous enemies, domestic and foreign. But even with all the incredible momentum the Harris/Walz ticket has generated, we still have to work hard to ensure a victory for our future. We live in a two-party system, and no candidate will appeal to every voter on every issue.
Bringing the two halves of the piece together, Giuliani concludes: "Take it from me, Trump destroys everything he touches. I saw it happen to my family. Don't let it happen to yours, or to our country. Kamala Harris will guide us into a brighter future, but only if we unite behind her."
This weekend, we answered a question about whether endorsements really matter. And we said that we believe they still do, in some cases, such as when an endorsement is unexpected, given the person's background. We'd say that Rudy Giuliani's daughter, coming out against the candidate/"benefactor"/cult leader of her father would be in that category.
And, as long as we're on the subject, former Arizona senator Jeff Flake (R) also endorsed Harris yesterday. We're not dialed in to Arizona politics, but we suspect that Flake's opinion still carries some weight with the state's "McCain Republicans." After all, the two men served together, and shared a similar outlook. Needless to say, in a state that's projected to be close, every little bit matters. (Z)