What is not OK?
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that because of Trump’s involvement in the insurrection that took place on January 6, 2021, he is ineligible to hold office and his name is to be removed from the ballot for the upcoming Colorado primary election. Immediately, Republicans of all shapes and sizes began rallying to his defense.
Ironically, prior to this, they have been loudly beating the drum of ‘States rights’ and arguing that states should have complete control over the presidential election in their states. However, in this case, the state of Colorado exercised their right, but made a decision the Republicans don’t like so they now want the Federal government to step in. Some members of Congress are even threatening to pass laws to prohibit states from doing what Colorado just did. I think this is called having your cake and eating it too – or in simpler terms, just plain old hypocrisy which seems to be the latest virus infecting most Republicans.
All this frenetic defense of Trump’s latest legal issues got me to wondering just exactly what is not OK with the Republicans these days. Where is the line?
Trump famously bragged about being able to grab females by their genitals in the Access Hollywood tapes! I guess misogyny is OK.
Trump paid hush money to a porn star and a former Playboy model with whom he had trysts. I guess adultery and hush money payments are OK.
The former president is a proven liar many, many times over. When confronted about his lies, he lies about lying. I guess lying regularly is OK.
He has been found liable for defamation in a lawsuit from a woman who has testified that Trump raped her. I guess rape is OK.
Trump famously tried to extort a foreign leader into providing dirt on one of his political rivals in exchange for releasing desperately needed foreign aid. Trump was impeached for this but not convicted because of the spineless Republicans controlling the Senate. I guess extortion is OK.
He has praised murderous dictators and enemies of the United States on multiple occasions. I guess cozying up to our enemies is OK.
Trump has recently been using terms used by Hitler to talk about immigrants. I guess overt racism is OK.
The former president stole hundreds of classified documents, stashed them at his residence in Mar-a-Lago and then tried to obstruct the investigation into this incident. I guess theft, jeopardizing national security, and obstructing justice are OK.
A binder that contained highly classified intelligence regarding the Russian interference into our elections was last seen at the White House in the final days of the Trump administration and is now missing. I guess being irresponsible (or worse) with some of the most highly classified U.S. intelligence is OK.
Trump tried to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election by inciting an insurrection that was nothing short of a coup attempt to stay in power and continues to lie about up to this day. I guess tossing aside over two hundred years marked by the peaceful transfer of power and trying to stage a coup is OK.
I am having an extremely tough time trying to understand where the line is when Republicans might finally say ‘That is not OK.’ Up to now, either by rallying to his defense or by just sitting on their hands and being silent, they are telling Trump – whatever you want to do is OK.
Trump once said that he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York and not lose any voters. Given the track record of Republicans to date – perhaps murder is also OK! We’ll see. Trump already threatened to execute Mark Milley, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff. Republicans would probably tell Trump – I guess that’s OK.
During a speech at the Turning Point USA’s Teen Student Action Summit in July 2019, Trump said, “But I don’t even talk about that. Because I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” It’s obvious the Republicans would agree with him.
It is somewhat ironic that the United States was founded to break away from the oppressive rule of King George III of England and we are now on the verge of coming full circle with “King Donald”, because over the last few years whatever Trump did the Republicans would simply say – I guess that’s OK.
