AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File

Former Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who served 18 terms in Congress before retiring last year, is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris — issuing a scathing condemnation of his own party’s nominee, former President Donald Trump.

Upton told The Detroit News that he was voting for Harris — his first time supporting a Democrat for president, although he has split his ticket on other down-ballot races in the past — because Trump had “not changed his colors” and continued pushing his baseless claims about fraud in the 2020 election.

“Watching Trump day after day, he’s ignored the advice of many senior, respected Republicans to stay on the issues,” said Upton.

“Instead, he’s still talking about the election being stolen, trashing women left and right. He’s just totally unhinged,” he added. “We don’t need this chaos. We need to move forward, and that’s why I’m where I am.”

Upton told The Detroit News that he had spoken with Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on Wednesday. The two served together in the House for twelve years.

“They want to get things done, and the only way to get that to happen is to work on a bipartisan basis. I’m convinced that Harris has more ability to do that than Trump,” said Upton about a Harris-Walz administration, praising their support for the bipartisan immigration bill that Trump derailed and commitment to work across the aisle on Ukraine, inflation, and other issues.

“I’m convinced that those of us who are willing to stand up now will be at the table as we try to chart a path to resolve these issues. They are too important to ignore,” he said. “At some point, the country has to come ahead of party, and that’s what this is all about.”

Upton was one of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, drawing his ire — and then gloating after Upton announced his retirement. He has also been an outspoken critic of Republicans who have refused to accept the 2020 election results or tried to downplay the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

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