Dozens of Republican former national security officials to back Biden

Former intelligence chiefs among those throwing support behind Democratic presidential challenger to Donald Trump

Joe Biden tours the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the military border separating the two Koreas, in 2013. Reuters

More than 70 former Republican national security officials, including CIA and FBI chiefs, will endorse Democrat candidate Joe Biden on Friday and launch a scathing indictment of President Donald Trump as corrupt and unfit to serve.

The group, Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden, includes some of the most senior members of the US defence and intelligence establishment to have served under Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, George W Bush and Mr Trump.

The 73 members include retired general Michael Hayden, who served as national security director and head of the CIA.

William Webster, the only man to serve as head of the CIA and FBI, and John Negroponte, the first director of national intelligence, are also in the group.

So are Michael Leiter, former director of the National Counter-terrorism Centre, and Mike Donley, former Air Force secretary.

Their condemnation of Mr Trump and backing of Mr Biden will come three days before the president's nominating convention opens on Monday.

It shows how the Republican president has alienated members of his own party, especially intelligence and foreign policy veterans.

"Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behaviour that renders him unfit to serve as president," the group will say in a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

"We have concluded that Donald Trump has failed our country and that Joe Biden should be elected the next president of the United States."

The group is one of several Republican organisations opposing Mr Trump's re-election in the November 3 vote.

They object to his alienation of US allies abroad and his leadership at home, most recently his response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 176,000 Americans and sparked a severe economic downturn.

Then there was his reaction to nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality against black Americans.

The Trump campaign has described Republican-led groups campaigning for the Democrats' candidate, as "the swamp," disaffected former officials "trying to take down the duly elected president of the United States".

They include 43 Alumni for Biden, hundreds of officials who worked for George W Bush.

Mr Trump has expressed contempt, saying on Twitter last year that such "Never Trump Republicans" are "human scum".

Former official blasts ‘malignant narcissist’ Trump

Bob Tuttle, who was director of personnel under Reagan and ambassador to the UK under George W Bush, is a member of the former national security group.

Mr Tuttle said Mr Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis had been "abominable".

"He's a malignant narcissist," he told Reuters. "He's a liar.

"He's a despicable human being and the worst president in American history. It's not even close.

Another group member, James Glassman, an undersecretary of state in the administration of George W Bush, said Mr Trump had created "global chaos".

"Lack of leadership has led to the deaths of 170,000 Americans," Mr Glassman said.

"There's no excuse in the country with the best health scientists in the world."

The group lays out a detailed charge sheet against Mr Trump, including accusations that he is unfit to lead in a national crisis, undermined confidence in US elections, aligned himself with dictators, preached a "dark and pessimistic view of America" and attacked and vilified immigrants.

The group will launch a website on Friday and come under the umbrella of another anti-Trump organisation run by Republicans, Defending Democracy Together.

The former officials raised $140,000 among themselves to launch their effort.