By Matt Rooney
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Ex-Ohio Governor John Kasich may be the most famous Republican to endorse Joe Biden this year, Save Jerseyans, but the most famous New Jersey Republican to defect will be joining Kasich on the digital stage tonight as a Democrat National Convention (DNC) speaker.
According to published reports, Christine Todd Whitman – who left during her second term in Trenton to serve as George W. Bush’s EPA chief – has been added to the Monday night speaking list.
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A liberal Republican and a long-time Trump critic, Whitman’s endorsement of Biden will surprise no one familiar with the ex-governor’s politics and her Twitter account.
DNC watchers may not know a few other things about her:
- Whitman remains one of the least popular former N.J. governors; she’s best known during her tenure for helping destabilize the pension system.
- Whitman is best known to non-New Jerseyans for telling New Yorkers that their air was safe following the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Center; many first responders have since been diagnosed with cancer (and some have died).
- In an era obsessed with political correctness and wokeness in particular, Whitman’s track record on race relations is punctuated by a notorious incident when she was photographed smiling (see above) as she patted down a black man during a N.J. State Police ride-along in Camden. The man was shot dead years later.
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