I can understand changing your mind about how you feel about beets, oysters, soft-shelled crabs, okra, or caviar. (I used to love duck a L ’Orange until these adorable creatures began sashaying across my lawn every morning. Now duck is on my forbidden list.) But I can’t understand changing your mind about a person who made racist or sexist comments about your family members, espouses political views that you find repugnant, or totally committed reprehensible acts.
But do not fear. These turncoats are alive and well and flourishing in the Republican party. Let me give you just a few examples.
J.D. Vance called Trump an idiot, reprehensible, and America’s Hitler. He wrote an opinion piece saying Trump was unfit for the presidency. He identified himself as a Never Trump conservative.
We’ve all witnessed how Vance is front and center on the Trump bandwagon now thanks to his own ambitious career plans. Last week at his press conference, Vance actually said he wouldn’t call the Iran war a war. Then he said that the U.S. has won almost none of its wars during his 42-year lifetime until Donald Trump became president. What?
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump accused Ted Cruz’s father of having something to do with JFK’s assassination. Then he made derogatory comments about Cruz’s wife and continually referred to Cruz as “lying Ted” on the campaign trail. Cruz declined to endorse Trump at the 2016 Republican convention.
Cruz is now a crusader on the Trump train. Last week, Cruz said we need to support Trump with all our might during the midterm elections and also told moderate Republicans to “shut up” and support Ken Paxton in his bid for Republican senator of Texas –you know the guy indicted for securities fraud and has had charges filed against him for misconduct, bribery, and misuse of office.
On the campaign trail Marco Rubio called Trump a con artist and accused him of sticking it to the little guy. Rubio constantly mimicked Trump backstage, highlighting his use of makeup or mirror checks during debates. Then, of course, there were the “little hands” jokes. Rubio also frequently referred to Trump’s demeaning attitudes towards women, minorities, the disabled and fellow candidates. He said Trump was reckless and dangerous and would do damage to the country.
“Little Marco” now sings a different tune. As Secretary of State, he is among Trump’s loyal defenders and has basically turned his back on promoting the rule of law and human rights. Those days are long gone.
Let me remind you what just two Republicans said about Trump after January 6th.
Mitch McConnell. “There is no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”
Lindsay Graham. ”Trump and I we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. But enough is enough. Count me out. Enough is enough.”
Neither McConnell nor Graham were among the seven Republican senators who voted in favor of convicting Trump after his January 13, 2021, impeachment by the House for inciting an insurrection.
Just imagine if your uncle was a revered former president who was assassinated and a John F. Kennedy Center was erected in his memory. As we all know, Trump has made several efforts to overhaul the building and put his own name on it. He also has apparently threatened to remove the JFK bust in the center of the building. (It remains there for now.)
RFK Jr. has remained silent on the whole issue. He said, he has “bigger fish to fry.” Then he later said that Trump wants to make the building beautiful. He also acknowledged that his relatives were upset but said this was not one of his priorities.
The bro-mance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk broke up after Musk left his cost-cutting advisory role and publicly attacked Trump’s economic and budget legislation claiming it would increase the deficit and drive the U.S. Into a recession.
Now the two apparently have made up, Musk has since acquired several government contracts and plans to spend at least $100 million electing Republicans in the midterm elections. So much for his hatred of deficit spending, tariffs, and fears of recession.
And finally, a whole article could be written about the Michael Cohen/Donald Trump reconciliation Cohen went to prison as Trump’s “fixer.” He pled guilty to campaign finance violations having to do with hush money payments. Cohen also served as a star witness in the criminal trial when Trump was convicted of falsifying business records.
Cohen and Trump have recently reconciled because Cohen says he seeks peace of mind. Cohen now wants a presidential pardon to erase his criminal convictions. Plus, he is starting a radio career on a station owned by a Trump-allied billionaire.
Obviously, hypocrisy and personal ambition are nothing new in the political world. But lately this turncoat mentality seems particularly offensive.
The author John Dos Passos once wrote, “Men who have lost their conviction of what is good and what is bad find themselves without a sextant to check their position by.” I agree with Dos Passos and find our so-called leaders in desperate need of a compass, or perhaps they simply need to contemplate the constancy and guidance of the North Star when navigating safely through the dark.
