FIRST ON FOX: A top official in then-President George W. Bush’s administration, who made history as the nation’s first female Department of Agriculture secretary, is the latest leading Republican to back Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump.
And the endorsement of the vice president by Ann Veneman – shared first with Fox News Digital on Wednesday – comes as the Harris campaign continues its efforts to court Republicans who didn’t support Trump during this year’s GOP nomination race – and as the campaign aims to cut into the former president’s support among rural voters.
“As our nation stands at a critical juncture, the upcoming presidential election presents a stark contrast in leadership and values, particularly for rural communities and agriculture,” Veneman said in a statement.
Veneman, who grew up on a peach farm in California and also made history as the first female U.S. secretary of Agriculture – in President George H.W. Bush’s administration – and the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, argued that “Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.”
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File photo of former Secretary of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who later served as UNICEF executive director, in New York City on Nov. 28, 2006 ( Photo by David X Prutting/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
And pointing to proposals by Harris and her running mate – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – Veneman emphasized that “their plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families. Together, they offer the leadership we need to help agriculture and rural America thrive.”
Walz last week highlighted the Harris campaign’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters, which include proposals to recruit 10,000 new healthcare professionals in rural and tribal areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and new grant programs.
The Harris campaign aims to put a dent in Trump’s strong support in rural communities. The former president carried rural voters by a nearly two-to-one margin in the 2020 election, according to a Fox News voter analysis.
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Veneman, with her endorsement, also becomes the latest high-ranking member of former President George W. Bush’s administration to back Harris. At the top of that list is former Vice President Dick Cheney.
And Veneman’s endorsement comes two days after Harris campaigned in three key battleground states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – with Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney speaks during a Harris campaign town hall in Malvern, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The younger Cheney, once a rising conservative star in the GOP, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power.
While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states.
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The Harris campaign is courting such voters with on-the-ground events and through paid media efforts.
At a campaign event last week in Pennsylvania where Harris was joined by leading anti-Trump Republicans – including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan – the vice president was introduced by lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans Bob and Kristina Lange.
The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. The Langes say they’ve seen a barrage of hateful and derogatory messages following their appearance in the Harris ad.
But in a Fox News Digital interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re behind you.’ They’re thanking us for what we’re doing. They’re thanking us for being brave because many people are afraid to speak out against Trump because of revenge and other things like that.”