A number of stars, including cast members of NBC’s “The West Wing,” are urging Republican members of the Electoral College to vote against Donald Trump in a new PSA.
“Our Founding Fathers built the Electoral College to safeguard the American people from the dangers of a demagogue, and to ensure that the presidency only goes to someone who is, ‘to an eminent degree, endowed with the requisite qualifications,’” Martin Sheen says in the video, which was produced by the group Unite for America.
Debra Messing, B.D. Wong, Richard Schiff, Mike Farrell, Bob Odenkirk and Freda Payne also appear in the video, urging electors to vote their conscience and choose someone besides Trump, but not necessarily runner-up Hillary Clinton.
“What is evident is that Donald Trump lacks more than the qualifications to be president, he lacks the necessary stability, and clearly the respect for the Constitution of our great nation,” they say. “You have the position, the authority, and the opportunity to go down in the books as an American hero and change the course of history.”
On Dec. 19, the 538 members of the electoral college will vote to determine the next president of the United States. Based on Trump’s turnout in the popular vote, he is expected to receive 306 votes, more than the 270 he needs to win.
However, in recent weeks, multiple electors have said they will not vote for Trump based on what they see as his unsuitability for office. The chances of enough electors voting against Trump to keep him from the White House remain slim.