One of the questions I get from people all the time is this: Why don’t more Republican elected officials speak out against Donald Trump?
Surely, these people insist, not every Republican in elected office believes that what he is doing — to the party and the country — is the right thing.
Which is true!
First, let me say this: At this point — a decade into Trump’s time as the dominant figure in the Republican party — a majority of GOP elected officials do agree with Trump.
That’s not to say they agree with everything he does. Or the manner and tone with which he does it. But, broadly, they came of age in a time of Trumpian national populism and are on board with it.
But that is not everyone in the party. And, yes, there are plenty of Republican office-holders — especially in Washington — who disagree with much of what Trump is doing but don’t publicly criticize him.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the few remaining Trump critics within the GOP, explained why in a remarkably candid moment this week in Alaska.
Here’s the quote — via the Alaska Daily News:
“We are all afraid,” Murkowski said, taking a long pause. “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
That retaliation comes in two forms.
Political: Trump has shown again and again that he has both the inclination and the power to run his critics within the GOP out. His endorsement in a Republican primary is close to a guarantor of victory. And if you are an incumbent on the wrong side of that endorsement, your political career is likely over. And most elected officials really like their jobs — and want to keep them.
Physical: This is the less spoken-about part of the intimidation and retaliation culture that surrounds Trump. But it is real. I have either talked to or heard about members of Congress who have voted with Trump on certain things out of a belief that to not do so could well endanger them and their families.
That is the reality of where the Republican Party is at the moment. And good on Murkowski for acknowledging it.
This is a FREE post. But all of this only works if you are willing to invest in independent journalism. Which is why I hope today is the day you become a paid subscriber to this newsletter. It’s $6 a month or $60 for the year.
Share this post