From this side of the Atlantic, it is difficult to sympathise with all the wringing Republican hands and the cloaks of mock outrage that Trump Republican supporters are now wrapping around themselves.
Trump was never up to holding the high office of President of the United States. I and others wrote about this nearly five years ago. And if we can reel back to four and a half years, what is evident is that there were so many Republican Politicians who at that time agreed that Trump was wholly unfit for that high office.
Leading politicians such as Ted Cruise, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Richard Burr, and many others besides; all voicing demurring comments and questioning Trump's suitability to hold high office. Then it changed as he was the chosen Republican to stand for President. Even John McCain eventually got behind Trump but withdrew his support promptly when Trump's crude infamous audio talking about his irresistibility to women surfaced. John McCain possessed real integrity and the strength of character to demonstrate it, unlike so many of his woefully weak fellow Republicans.
What is so astonishing about Trump, is not Trump himself - but all of those senior politicians who sold their souls and enabled him - all in the name of power. They should never be able to look themselves in the mirror again without turning their heads away in shame. They could have stopped Trump in his tracks, but they instead chose to facilitate this man. Instinct alone should have warned them of the dangers, but Trump's counter-intuitive decisions were like a constant flashing danger light, which they, so many times, and apparently so easily ignored, and even excused.
The Republicans only hope to recoup a little credence and dignity that will allow them to re-establish themselves as an influential and trusted political force is to replace Trump with Pence now. And then they need to rid themselves of the vitriolic voices of Trump Supporters. People such as Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan and their ilk. These kind of people are toxic to democracy and harmful to healing a divided country.
The truth is that there have always been and always will be the disgruntled people with weird, nonsensical and illogical grievances. They have always been there - like a virus in the body. But when the immune system is weakened, the virus can flourish and, at worse case, as we know, cause death. This discontent and attempted sedition, like a virus, needs to be quarantined and treated with some urgency.
Now is the time for the Republican leadership to dig deep, apologise, take decisive action and show some real character. Now is there time to determine their future. And they should remember; actions or inactions will determine their character and words spoken - matter.
Rick - Suffolk - UK - 7th January - 2021
www.ricknotesfromengland.com
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