James Gibney, Columnist

The ‘Never Trump’ Movement’s Bittersweet Anniversary

Four years ago, they failed in their objective. But their rationale is looking better than ever.

March 2, 2020 at 1:30 PM UTC

James Gibney is an editor for Bloomberg Opinion. Previously an editor at the Atlantic, the New York Times, Smithsonian, Foreign Policy and the New Republic, he was also in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1989 to 1997 in India, Japan and Washington.

Don’t make their mistake.
Photographer: Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

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Four years ago today, the Never Trump movement was born. In a 454-word declaration modestly titled “An Open Letter on Donald Trump From GOP National Security Leaders,” some 122 members of the Republican establishment announced their opposition to his campaign.

“As committed and loyal Republicans, we are unable to support a party ticket with Mr. Trump at its head,” reads the letter, signed by an eminent cast of former government officials (Michael Chertoff, Andrew Natsios) and marquee thinkers (Robert Kagan, Max Boot). “We commit ourselves to working energetically to prevent the election of someone so utterly unfitted to the office.”