The recent events surrounding the Black Lives Matter protests have brought to light the stark contrast between the actions of Republican leaders and the values they claim to uphold. As the country grapples with issues of systemic racism and police brutality, one thing has become abundantly clear – the Republican party is no longer the party of individualism and dissent, but rather one of blind loyalty and conformity under the iron grip of President Donald Trump.
In the early days of the protests, some Republican leaders spoke out against the use of military force to quell the demonstrations. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas even penned an op-ed calling for the deployment of active-duty troops to cities across the country. However, as the weeks went on and President Trump continued to push for a strongman approach to the protests, the once-dissenting voices within the party fell in line with their leader.
This shift in the attitudes of Republican leaders is a clear indication of how thoroughly Trump has consolidated his grip on the party. It is a sign of blind loyalty and a lack of independent thinking among those who were once seen as the voices of dissent within the party.
The near-unanimous chorus of support for Trump’s actions, even from those who previously spoke out against them, is a disturbing reflection of the current state of the Republican party. It shows a disregard for the values of individualism, free speech, and peaceful protest that the party once claimed to champion.
The most recent example of this blind conformity among Republican leaders can be seen in the events surrounding the March for Trump rally in Washington D.C. on December 12th. The rally, organized by supporters of the President, claimed to be a peaceful protest against the results of the 2020 election. However, as the day went on, the crowd became increasingly violent and clashed with counter-protesters and law enforcement.
Despite the clear display of violence and disregard for law and order, Republican leaders were quick to defend and even participate in the rally. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio were both seen speaking at the rally, with Paul even going so far as to claim that the election was “stolen” from Trump. This blind allegiance to Trump and his baseless claims of election fraud is a clear indication of the hold he has over the party.
It is not just in the realm of protests and rallies that we see this conformity among Republican leaders. In the halls of Congress, Trump’s grip on the party is just as evident. Just days after the March for Trump rally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a bipartisan effort to increase stimulus checks to Americans struggling during the pandemic. This move, which goes against the wishes of President Trump, shows the fear among Republican leaders of going against the will of their leader.
The events of the past year have shown us that the Republican party is no longer a party of individualism and dissent, but one of blind loyalty and conformity to President Trump. It is a party that has abandoned its core values and turned a blind eye to the actions and rhetoric of their leader. The near-unanimous chorus of support for Trump’s actions, even in the face of clear violations of democratic norms, is a concerning sign for the future of the party.
In the words of the late Senator John McCain, “To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain ‘the last best hope of Earth’ for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is unpatriotic.”
It is time for Republican leaders to break free from the grip of Trump and reclaim the values that once defined their party. It is time for them to stand up for what is right, even if it means going against their leader. It is time for them to remember that their loyalty should lie with the American people, not with one man. Only then can the Republican party truly live up to its name and once again become a beacon of democracy and individual freedom.
