Charlie Sykes Slams Trump As ‘Rapey Seditionist’ Who Wants To ‘Shred The Constitution’

MSNBC contributor and self-described Never Trump conservative Charlie Sykes called on Republican voters to “put country over party” and reject former President Donald Trump, who he blasted as a “rapey seditionist” who wanted to “shred the Constitution.”

Sykes appeared on Morning Joe on Monday following his announcement that he would be voting for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.

Prompted by host Joe Scarborough on his decision, Sykes detailed how he did not believe that this was a “normal election.”

I understand how it’s hard for Republican voters to cross over. I understand that there’s this partisan muscle memory, and that they disagree on a variety of issues. But the point, I think, that has to be made over and over again is that this is not a normal election. This is not Dukakis versus Bush. This is not Republican versus Democrat. This is not left versus right. We are talk about the possibility of the return to power of a convicted felon, rape seditionist who threatens to undue the constitutional order. There is nothing conservative about that.

You’ve said this over and over again. It is not that you have left the Republican party or left conservative. Conservatism has morphed into something that’s unrecognizable. You’re talking about somebody who kowtows to dictators, who wants to shred the constitution.

This is one of those moments where you say, okay, I understand that you are not changing your conservative or centrist values.

Outlining how conservatives may disagree with Harris on a range of policy issues, he cited the several leading Republicans and former lawmakers who have announced they’ll be voting Democrat.

I understand that you disagree with Kamala Harris on a lot of different things. But there’s a moment where you have to put the country over party.

I think that one of the closing arguments, one of the most powerful closing arguments that Kamala Harris has is to say, look at the people who have been in the Republican party, who have been conservative leaders. Whether it’s [former Trump Vice President] Mike Pence or whether it’s [Bush-era Vice President] Dick Cheney or whether it’s, you know, [former GOP congresswoman] Liz Cheney herself. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. All of these people who are looking at the Republican party under Donald Trump and saying, this is not who we are. As well as all of the people who worked with Donald Trump, who were in his cabinet, who were in his White House, who are saying, we saw him up close – the man is not fit for another term in office.

Speaking of the challenge in convincing centrist Republicans to choose Harris, Sykes continued:

I think that the task is to convince Republicans who go, well, I disagree with her on this. I disagree with her on abortion, on immigration, on transgender issues. I disagree with her on tax policy. But that is ultimately not what this election is about. And it’s not just the risk of Donald Trump, I also think it’s the question of do you really want to put America through this? Do you really want four more years of this? Do you really want someone back in power who has made it absolutely clear that he is off the charts of the normal American political difference? …You now have permission to do something that you probably would have thought unthinkable a few months ago.

Watch above on MSNBC.