In the days before Donald Trump ran for president, the Republican Party stood for the rule of law, the Constitution, and fiscal responsibility. Over time, Trumpism replaced this traditional Republican platform. Facts do not support President Trump being at all fiscally responsible. He pardoned January 6th rioters who brutally resisted police intervention. The disregard of the Constitution is stunning while the Republican Party remains mostly silent and complicit.
Complicity pervades the Republican Party and we are seeing elected Republicans at all levels morph into Trumpists. Candidates Representative Latta and Senator Husted have remained silent as Trump has ignored their roles as one of the three branches of our government. I write them, and receive replies, however convoluted and disingenuous. And, I have asked multiple times if they can acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. They don’t reply. This should alarm us all.
I have spoken to Republicans who reject Trumpism. They express dismay at the direction of our country. We are on the cusp of losing our democracy. We live in a time where our president and his party question every election they lose while not challenging their victories. This is self-serving, illogical, and devastating to democracy. Donald Trump will challenge Democratic victories in the midterms. Mail-in ballots are under attack weeks away from the election. His goal is to throw away millions of votes and there is no reason to think that any of our Ohio elected officials will interfere with this predictable outcome.
I implore the lifelong Republicans expressing their dismay about the direction of the country to please do more than talk to people like me. Express your patriotism by talking to fellow Republicans and writing letters to the editor. The rule of law, fiscal responsibility, and the Constitution are in the balance.
John Zanfardino
Bowling Green
