Will Hurd takes aim at frontrunner Trump as he launches longshot bid for the White House
Hurd #Hurd
WASHINGTON — Former Republican Rep. Will Hurd launched a long shot White House bid Thursday by taking direct aim at Donald Trump and urging his party to grow beyond its base-rallying echo chambers.
A moderate who represented Texas’ sprawling and politically balanced 23rd district for three terms, Hurd is the only significant Texas candidate for president despite speculation that Sen. Ted Cruz or Gov. Greg Abbott might get into the race.
Hurd, 45, joins what is already a crowded primary field that includes Trump and well-known figures such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Announcing his campaign on “CBS Mornings,” Hurd acknowledged he’s a dark horse in the race but suggested the other contenders have been too timid in confronting the former president.
Political Points
“You can’t be afraid of Donald Trump,” Hurd said. “Too many of these candidates in this race are afraid of Donald Trump, but we also have to articulate a different vision.”
A former covert CIA officer, Hurd broke with many leading Republicans who have come to Trump’s defense after the former president’s indictment on 37 felony charges related to alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Hurd said the case will have to work its way through the legal system, but Trump is accused of willfully retaining top-secret material that could have cost lives if it fell into the wrong hands.
“If one of these things is true, it’s incredibly damning and it spits in the face of the thousands of men and women who every single day and every single night put themselves in harm’s way in order to keep us safe,” Hurd said. “To me, that is unacceptable. And we have to stop listening to these lies. And the fact that he said he kept this because he wanted to get his golf shorts back – it’s just outrageous.”
Hurd said he would not pardon Trump if elected and that it’s “insane” anyone would talk about doing so now.
When Hurd announced in 2019 he would not seek a fourth term, he was the only Black Republican in the House.
Elected repeatedly by the voters of an intensely competitive district, Hurd had emerged as a prominent bipartisan voice on Capitol Hill.
He and Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, garnered widespread attention in 2017 when they live streamed an impromptu cross-country road trip. Their wide-ranging conversation earned plaudits for bipartisan civility.
Hurd wasn’t shy about splitting with fellow Republicans in general – and Trump specifically – on issues that included immigration and the border.
“Building a 30-foot-high concrete wall that takes four hours to penetrate is the most expensive and least effective way to do it,” Hurd said in 2018.
He reiterated his criticism of Trump’s “failed policies” on immigration Thursday, but added that President Joe Biden also has come up short in addressing a border crisis that is fueling human traffickers.
Hurd said one way to address the situation is to streamline legal immigration pathways such as guest worker programs. He said that can be accomplished through executive actions rather than waiting on Congress to move on the issue.
Hurd is joining the field late and it’s unclear whether he will be able to meet the requirements for making the first Republican presidential debate stage on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. Candidates must demonstrate strength in multiple national polls and cross certain fundraising thresholds to qualify for the debate.
It’s a daunting environment in which he will need to get traction quickly or risk becoming little more than a footnote in the 2024 race.
He said Thursday he decided to run because issues such as American students’ low test scores in core subjects aren’t being addressed.
“These are the issues we should be talking about,” Hurd said. “And to be frank, I’m pissed that we’re not talking about these things.”
He also said too many elected officials are pushing divisive rhetoric pitting Americans against one another.
“I believe the Republican Party can be the party that talks about the future, not the past,” Hurd said. “We should be putting out a vision of how do we have unprecedented peace, how do we have a thriving economy, how do we make sure our kids have a world class education, regardless of their age or location?”
Hurd’s announcement was met swiftly with criticism from both sides. The Democratic National Committee sought to highlight votes in which he came down on the side of Trump and fellow Republicans.
“Will Hurd spent his career in Congress in lockstep with Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda,” it said in a statement.
And Trump allies denounced him as weak on immigration and said his entry into the race is a sign DeSantis’ campaign is faltering.
Hurd preemptively pushed back on criticism of his Republican bona fides by saying he remains committed to the GOP and that he understands the real issues important to everyday people.
“Absolutely, I am a Republican,” Hurd said.