Mesa Mayor John Giles says in DNC speech that Republican Party has turned into a cult of Trump
Aug 20, 2024, 8:21 PM
Mesa Mayor John Giles speaks at the Democratic National Convention to support Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – Following a string of Democratic speakers at the Democratic National Convention, Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, reached across the aisle to support Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night.
“I have a confession to make, I’m a lifelong Republican so I feel a little out of place tonight.” Giles said. “But I feel more at home here than in today’s Republican Party.”
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In July, Giles endorsed Harris in an AZCentral op-ed that shared his concern for the ways in which the Republican Party has changed. The mayor spoke to the crowd during the second night of the DNC, one of a handful of Republicans who will give remarks throughout the week.
“The Grand Old Party has been kidnapped by extremists and evolved into a cult, the cult of Donald Trump,” Giles said.
“The Grand Old Party has been kidnapped by extremists and devolved into a cult” – Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles. pic.twitter.com/DJI926WSbL
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) August 21, 2024
Giles accused the former president of acting for his own self-interest and not knowing anything about public service. The mayor pointed toward the many promises Trump made that never came to fruition, including unlimited economic growth, a rebirth in American manufacturing and secure borders.
“Turns out Donald Trump was all talk, he wanted our votes but he couldn’t deliver a thing,” Giles said.
Mesa’s progress during the Biden-Harris administration was a focus for Giles who said he is attending ribbon cutting ceremonies every week because of the administration’s work toward cities across the country.
Giles reminisced on his hero, former U.S. Sen. John McCain’s ability to put the country over his own party, an ability Giles said he sees in Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I have an urgent message for the majority of Americans who, like me, are in the political middle,” Giles said. “John McCain’s Republican Party is gone and we don’t own a damn thing from what’s been left behind.
“So let’s turn the page, let’s put the country first, let’s put adults in the room where our country deserves,” Giles said to end his speech.
