In a major show of support, over 400 economists and former White House policy advisors have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, warning against former President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.
The open letter adds fuel to the ongoing debate between Democrats and Republicans over which candidate offers the better solution for America’s economy, with voters listing high costs of living as a top concern in national polls.
The letter released on Tuesday, Sept. 24 describes a stark choice for voters.
“It is a choice between inequity, economic injustice, and uncertainty with Donald Trump or prosperity, opportunity, and stability with Kamala Harris,” the economists wrote.
The signatories include prominent progressive economists who served under Democratic administrations, including those of President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Among the endorsers are Harvard economist Jason Furman, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under Obama, and Roger Altman, founder of Evercore and former deputy treasury secretary under Clinton.
Additionally, former commerce secretary Penny Pritzker, former Federal Reserve vice chair Alan Blinder, and former staffers from key regulatory agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau added their names to the letter.
The list also includes several figures who served under Republican administrations, such as Sean O’Keefe, former deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush, and Phillip Braun, a staff member of President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers.
The letter’s timing gave Harris a valuable talking point ahead of her economy-focused speech scheduled for Wednesday, where she announced new policy proposals.
The letter’s signatories have voiced concerns over Trump’s economic plans, including his hardline tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and proposals to give the president more influence over Federal Reserve decisions.
The endorsement comes after a similar letter of support was issued for Biden before he dropped out of the race, with 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists backing his candidacy.
The letter solidifies Harris’s appeal to progressive and center-left economists while signaling continued resistance to Trump’s policies.
