I was among the many Republicans who simply couldn’t fathom Trump securing the Republican presidential nomination. With Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich both ending their campaigns, Trump’s nomination as the GOP’s presidential candidate is all but assured. As many Republicans are doing today, I find myself asking: what does Trump’s nomination mean?
Donald Trump’s victory in the GOP primary should sadden all of us, regardless of party affiliation. His presidential nomination this year will have a ruinous impact on our political system for years to come. Through his demagoguery, he has beaten out a variety of more experienced, more qualified and more principled opponents. There are many reasons to hate Trump, but in my mind, the greatest reason of all is how he will harm American democracy.
On the most basic level, Trump clearly rejects what it means to be a leader in a democratic society. As Edmund Burke, arguably the intellectual founder of the conservative movement, once wrote, “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”
Trump is a smart man and a good public speaker, there’s no denying that. Yet it has become blatantly obvious, in interviews, speeches and debates, that he simply does not care about learning the issues that face our country, or offering real solutions. He has operated in conspiracies, lies and the occasional half-truth. Instead of using his talents and skills to help push our country forward, he appeals to our worst instincts and shuns any form of reasoning. His shouting, bullying and disdain for debate are not alternatives to policy stances, they are his policy stances.
Secondly, Trump has built his politics around rejection of the basic principles that our country was founded upon and being outside of the standard political discourse. It was recently reported that former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich claimed Trump could possibly be “The most effective anti-left leader in our lifetime.” Gingrich is right, but not in the way he intended.
Philosophically, America is a “liberal” country. Liberal philosophy maintains that the principles of individual rights, the rule of law, limited power of government and the legal equality of all citizens are the foundation of government and society. Both major political parties and nearly all of our debates on political topics fit within this philosophy, which was enshrined by the Founding Fathers of America and the framers of the Constitution.
If Trump does have an ideological home, it’s not anywhere to be found in liberal philosophy. Trump is nationalist, authoritarian and xenophobic. I’m not even sure if he has used the word “Constitution” so far in his campaign. It is ironic that his worldview, which he describes as “America-first”, rejects everything this country is founded on. Creating a national police force large enough to round-up and expel 11 million people, banning the entry of individuals based solely on their religion and making critical speech illegal might “Make America Great Again,” but they do so at the expense of our principles.
Finally, Trump’s nomination ensures control of American politics to the Democratic party, at least on the national level, for a generation. Hispanics, blacks, millennials, Muslims and women will probably reject the Republican Party for decades (can you blame them?). With a Hillary Clinton victory all but assured and a Senate (and maybe even a House) majority, important discussions on the role of the government in healthcare, the size of the national debt and social security, the role of our military against Islamic terrorism and our business climate simply won’t occur. These important issues and others will be ceded to Democrats for the foreseeable future, with no real debate. Regardless of what party you support, the lack of real conversation on important issues is a loss for our country.
What if the Orange-Haired One does win though? Well, I won’t write what I think here. Based off his lack of understanding of the First Amendment, I’d be in Guantanamo Bay by Jan. 21.
I will say though, that as a young Republican, I won’t be giving him my vote and I likely could never support future Republican candidates who have supported Trump. Don’t we realize what this man is? He proudly rejects the principles of our country and what it means to be an effective leader in a democratic society. Donald Trump doesn’t know or understand any of these things, and he has never even tried to do so. His winning the nomination is a loss for us all.
Sam Wallace is a senior government and politics major. He can be reached at swallacedbk@gmail.com.
