Former Bush chief strategist says US needs to 'go all in with the Democratic Party' to 'guard our Republic'

• The chief strategist for President George W. Bush's 2004 campaign now backs the Democratic Party.
• Matthew Dowd said people need to put aside "cultural differences" and support the Democratic Party.
• "It is the only vehicle we can trust to guard our Republic," Dowd said, while swiping at Trump.
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The chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential campaign is now rooting for the political party he was once up against.

Matthew Dowd, who served as the chief strategist for President George W. Bush's reelection campaign, said on Twitter on Thursday that he now views the Democratic Party as the only option for Americans.

"All the tribes of our nation who care about democracy need to put aside any policy and cultural differences and go all in with the Democratic Party. It is the only vehicle we can trust to guard our Republic," Dowd wrote.

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He said the GOP "has bought into the mendacity from the mad king of Mara lago," in an apparent reference to former President Donald Trump. He also said the GOP is "a party of autocracy."

"The Democratic Party is the only path today to protect our nation," Dowd continued.

Prior to working for Bush, Dowd served as a senior advisor to the Republican National Committee. In 2007, he became a political contributor for ABC News, eventually becoming the network's chief political analyst. Earlier this year he announced he was leaving ABC.

He recently appeared as a guest on MSNBC, where he also criticized Republicans, saying they have a goal to "stop America's diversity."