'Never Trump' movement turns to Iraq War veteran

[Rocky C]

Conservatives desperate for an alternative presidential candidate to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton may turn to a little known Iraq war veteran to mount a third-party campaign this summer.

David French, a former Army Reserve officer who served in Iraq from October 2007 to October 2008, has emerged as the latest possible independent challenger to the likely Republican and Democratic presidential nominees.

The married father of three is a staff writer for the conservative National Review and has been among the operatives behind the scenes looking to recruit former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Central Command chief Gen. James Mattis to enter the campaign.


But Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard magazine, hinted this past weekend at French’s entry into the race and confirmed to multiple media outlets that the former military lawyer is considering a run.


French responded Tuesday on Twitter but so far has not indicated for certain that he'll run. He could not be reached for comment.

If French enters the race, he’ll need a considerable amount of money — and luck — to have an impact. Unlike Trump and Clinton, who have been actively campaigning since last summer, French is little known outside his publication’s readership, and has only a modest military resume that has attracted little attention in the past.


French, who attained the rank of major, served for seven years, earning a Bronze Star while serving in Iraq’s Diyala Province as Judge Advocate for the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, according to his personal bio. He also earned the Army Achievement Medal and Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal during his career.

He is a Harvard Law School graduate and a former Cornell Law School lecturer, concentrating on constitutional law and the law of armed conflict. He has worked at both the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom.

And he despises Trump.


In recent columns, French has accused Trump of leaving “the party of Lincoln in ruins” and called a Trump presidency “a catastrophe in the making.” He criticized the Republican frontrunner for policy statements that “threatened to order the military to commit war crimes” and “threatened to blow up NATO.”

French wrote that he will not vote for Trump this fall, even if Clinton is the only other viable alternative.

“I cannot in good conscience vote for the instrument of national crisis,” he said. “I remain Never Trump.”


Past discussions by strategists about a third-party bid this cycle haven’t focused on an outright Election Day victory. Instead, the plan would rely on a challenger preventing both Trump and Clinton from getting the 270 electoral votes needed to assume the White House.

The 12th Amendment dictates that Congress would then decide the winner, a process that hasn’t actually been tested in the last 190 years.

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[Kegler300]

Kristol is a joke ... why doesn't he just run himself? animated-smileys-rolleyes-08.gif

[Tennessee Top]

Dude doesn't stand a chance in hell. But, the political pundits said the same thing about DT. If he can come up with enough of other people's money to run a campaign this late in the game then knock himself out.

[2 Marine Mom]

Kinda of redundant, since Trump, and Killary, already have enough delegates, for theyre, nomination!!! Id say give it up.. the people have spoken!!!!! and the fact that even the pres. of Korea, would negotiate, with him, and Putin, has to say something about his bargaining skills, and international, pull.... still expecting fire works at the democraic, convention. maybe a contested one.. funny how that has all flipped!!!!

[irpat54]

spot on Deb, it is way late and they would have to get organized in all 50 states, and get the signatures to have him put on the ballet in a lot of the states even if he gets national attention for announcing he's running, and if he doesn't he will have to get enough signatures in all the states he wants to run in.

[Rocky C]

It's a lost cause. The 2 candidates shall fight it out now.

[FoxtrotOscar]

[Mongoose]

Sounds like our radical blacks here in America.