88 Top U.S. Military Leaders Endorse Donald Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waits as he is introduced during a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, on July 26 in Charlotte, N.C.
(Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Talk about endorsements by the numbers. A few weeks ago, nearly 50 pro-foreign intervention “security experts” from neoconservative and liberal internationalist backgrounds attacked the Republican presidential candidate in an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal. On Monday, 88 top U.S. military leaders in a letter put together by Major General Sidney Shachnow and Rear Admiral Charles Williams endorsed Donald Trump for president.

“As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world,” the military leaders wrote. “For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next Commander-in-Chief.”

The New York businessman responded to the endorsement.

“It is a great honor to have such amazing support from so many distinguished retired military leaders,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “I thank each of them for their service and their confidence in me to serve as commander-in-chief. Keeping our nation safe and leading our armed forces is the most important responsibility of the presidency. Under my administration, we will end the weak foreign policy of the last eight years, rebuild our military, give our troops clear rules of engagement and take care of our veterans when they come home. We can only Make America Great Again if we ensure our military remains the finest fighting force in the world, and that’s exactly what I will do as president.”

The open endorsement letter can be viewed here, but the full list of military leaders who signed on to the endorsement is below.

General Burwell B. Bell III, US Army, Retired

General Alfred G. Hansen, US Air Force, Retired

Admiral Jerry Johnson, US Navy, Retired

General Crosbie “Butch” Saint, US Army, Retired

Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, US Army, Retired

Lieutenant General Marvin Covault, US Army, retired

Lieutenant General Gordon E, Fornell, US Air Force, Retired

Lieutenant General Harley Hughes, US Air Force, Retired

Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, US Air Force, Retired

Lieutenant General Timothy A. Kinnan, US Air Force, Retired

Lieutenant General Hugh G. Smith, US Army, Retired

Lieutenant General David J. Teal, US Air Force, Retired

Lieutenant General William E. Thurman, US Air Force, Retired

Vice Admiral Mike Bucchi, US Navy, Retired

Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, Jr. US Navy, Retired

Vice Admiral R.F. Schoultz, US Navy, Retired

Vice Admiral Donald Thompson, US Coast Guard, Retired

Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, US Navy, Retired

Major General Joe Arbuckle, US Army, Retired

Major General John Bianchi, CSMR, Retired

Major General Henry D. Canterbury, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Jeffrey Cliver, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Tommy F. Crawford, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Felix Dupre, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Neil Eddins, US Air Force, Retired

Major General David W. Eidsaune, US Air Force, Retired

Major General William A. Gorton, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Kenneth Hagemann, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Gary L. Harrell, US Army, Retired

Major General Geoffrey Higginbothan, US Marine Corps, Retired

Major General John D. Logeman, Jr., US Air Force, Retired

Major General Homer S. Long, US Army, Retired

Major General Billy McCoy, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Robert Messerli, US Air Force, Retired

Major General John Miller, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Ray O’Mara, US Air Force, Retired

Major General George W.“Nordie” Norwood, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Robert W. Paret, US Air Force MC, Retired

Major General James W. Parker, US Army, Retired

Major General Richard Perraut, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Sidney Shachnow, US Army, Retired

Major General Mark Solo, US Air Force, Retired

Major General John Welde, US Air Force, Retired

Major General Kenneth W. Weir, US Marine Corps, Retired

Rear Admiral Phillip Anselmo, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Thomas F. Brown III, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Robert C. Crates, SC, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Mimi Drew, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Ernest Elliot, SC, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral James H. Flatley III, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Byron Fuller, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Dale Hagen, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Charles F. Horne III US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Grady L. Jackson, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral J. Adrian Jackson, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Frederick C. Johnson, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Jack Kavanaugh, SC, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Charles R.Kubic, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Rich Landolt, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral William J. McDaniel, MD, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral E.S. McGinley II, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Douglas M. Moore Jr. SC US Navy. Retired

Rear Admiral John A. Moriarty, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral David R. Morris, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, US Coast Guard, Retired

Rear Admiral Philip R. Olsen, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Robert S. Owens, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral W.W. Pickavance, Jr., US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Leonard F. Picotte, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Brian C. Prindle, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral William J. Ryan, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral William L. Schachte, Jr., US Navy JAGC, Retired

Rear Admiral William R. Schmidt, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Hugh P. Scott, US Navy, MC, Retired

Rear Admiral Gregory Slavonic, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral Charles Williams, US Navy, Retired

Rear Admiral H. Denny Wisely, US Navy, Retired

Brigadier General Remo Butler, US Army, Retired

Brigadier General George P. Cole, Jr. US Air Force, Retired

Brigadier General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, Retired

Brigadier General Jerome V. Foust, US Army, Retired

Brigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, Retired

Brigadier General Charles Jones, US Air Force, Retired

Brigadier General Mike D. Jones, US Army, Retired

Brigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, Retired

Brigadier General Mark D. Scraba, US Army, Retired

Brigadier General Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, Retired

Brigadier General Robert F. Titus, US Air Force, Retired