Republican ex-Treasury chief to vote for Clinton

Washington

Paulson joins a growing list of Republicans who say they will not cast a ballot in the November  8 election for Trump, the party’s presumptive nominee and a political neophyte whose populist rhetoric runs counter to many long-held Republican principles.

“When it comes to the presidency, I will not vote for Donald Trump,” Paulson, who was chief executive of Goldman Sachs before becoming Treasury chief under Republican President George W. Bush, wrote in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. “I’ll be voting for  Hillary Clinton, with the hope that she can bring Americans together to do the things necessary to strengthen our economy, our environment and our place in the world,” he said.

Paulson accused Trump, who has touted his business acumen as a real estate developer during his campaign, of taking ‘imprudent risk’ and then disavowing  his debts when ventures fail. He also took aim at Trump’s opposition to trade agreements, which Paulson said have created US jobs and fostered innovation and competitiveness.

“Simply put, a Trump presidency is unthinkable,” Paulson said.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.