I've been trying for some time to figure out how to balance "Most people are done with Trump" against Republican politicians' apparent desire to embrace the lessons of Trump (references below) while quietly pushing the man himself aside and refusing to face his immoral and illegal aspects.
Trump, of course, will not be _quietly_ set aside, and is preparing his base once again to intercede on his behalf versus the law. His efforts to undermine the judicial system with threats of riots should be shameful to anyone who claims to support conservatives' traditional goals of law & order, of country-above-self, and of personal responsibility.
These should be litmus tests for every Republican candidate, in both primary and general elections, for as long as Trump remains politically active and in the news:
* Are they willing to allow prosecution of the former President, on this or on any other issue?
* Are they willing to publicly label his lies for what they are?
* Are they willing to call out conspiracy theories and contradict their own fringe?
At their best, conservatives are guardians of law & order, proponents of tradition, and courageous people willing to risk themselves for the protection of their country. All those values are being undermined by both Trump and his apologists. No one who adheres to Trump and his cynical approach to the Presidency deserves the endorsement of America's conservative party.
References:
- The Lesson of Trump: Thinly-veiled bigotry and conspiracy theories win votes, especially from conservatives concerned about shifting demographic and cultural standards. The current Trumpist culture wars are part of a historic reactionary pattern. Such attacks tend to appeal to Trump's supporters. Meanwhile, DeSantis and other Republicans are targeting racial and sexual minorities in an effort to win over GOP voters. Numerous Trump-backed copycats echoing Trump's debunked claims of voter fraud in their own self-serving ways.
- GOP officials trying to distance themselves from Trump with only mild and delayed criticism, including when he suggested suspending the Constitution, when Pence received private GOP support instead of public statements when he suggested Trump was wrong to support the riots on Jan 6, 2021.
- Speaker McCarthy and other GOP politicians refusing to follow evidence of Trump's malfeasance, including concerning the campaign-finance accusations, but also during the Mueller investigation, during both of Trump’s impeachments, in response to Trump’s willful retention of classified documents, and in response to Trump’s false claims of election fraud.