THOMPSON: History won’t be kind to Republicans who support Donald Trump

How much longer can the folks who voted for Donald Trump stand by him? That is more or less a rhetorical question because the answer is all-too-obvious.

You might believe anyone who would admit, “I’m a proud Republican!” today might suffer from some curious mental disorder…or perhaps they were shooting for large-scale ironic humour.

But the truth is…throughout Trump’s 15-month reign – I know it seems much longer – he has harmed more Americans and people worldwide than any U.S. president in 250 years. This is a fact.

Forget Trump’s bald-faced lies that the economy – everything from employment to grocery and gas prices – would be better from day one with him as president. Just for the record…it’s day 463…and all are worse.

Some 63 percent disapprove of President Trump’s job performance – 50 percent disapprove strongly – putting his rating at the lowest point of his second term. Some Americans – inexplicably about 7 percent  – somehow don’t have an opinion. Of course, that means 30 percent approve of Trump’s actions.

Really? Who are these 30 percent-folks? Too many to be billionaires. I’m left with they’re simply not very smart people…you know the kind that would not abandon Trump if he chose to “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody”.

What are “reasonable” folks left to believe about these folks who call themselves Republicans? Can you be a decent human being when you support this despot? 

There are hundreds of reasons why a person who continues to support a despot…might be no better than the despot.

Trump started a war with Iran for no readily apparent reason…the tab is over $65 Billion just for military spending…plus 13 lives lost and hundreds of injuries among members of the U.S. military…and hundreds of innocent Iranians.

But the insanity started early on with Trump. On day one Trump granted a full, unconditional pardon to all Jan. 6 insurrectionists, including hundreds convicted of felonies like attacking or killing police officers. Scores of them have since committed serious felonies…killing women and children.

Last Summer, Trump and Republicans pulled the plug on U.S. AID…more than 750,000 people have died worldwide as a result…500,000 of them children.

Trump did away with due-process this year for pretty much anyone who, well, isn’t white. He took Kilmar Abrego Garcia off the street and exiled him to a dangerous prison in El Salvador. 

Trump has sent military troops into Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA…unconstitutional and illegal acts. He has hired more U.S. Immigration and Customs agents and flooded cities…arresting and detaining few illegal aliens, but snaring legal immigrants with no criminal records. His ICE agents have killed innocent American citizens. 

What we know about Trump is that he is a bully…a coward…and he cares only about two things; people lavishing praise upon him…and getting revenge.

Trump directed 20 percent of the FBI and Homeland Security officers who were working on terrorism to focus on immigration…with little success. Meanwhile, the government’s capabilities to thwart terrorism – foreign and domestic – and the trafficking of children has been diminished.

Trump has intimidated both law firms that work for Democrats…and America’s top universities. Both the law firms and universities who fought his illegal actions…backed Trump down.

Of course, the enemies list is bigger now. It’s easier simply in one elastic clause to say target Democrats and Liberals as enemies. How vengeful is Trump? His Department of Justice is going after ex-CIA Director John Brennan and others over the origins of the Trump-Russian election tampering investigation ten years ago…there is no evidence Brennan committed any crime…he did his job. It’s simply revenge.

Freedom of speech is more fantasy than fact under Trump and Republicans. Trump limits free speech…when someone says something negative about him. He threatened both CBS and ABC with pulling licenses…coercing the networks to fire late night critics Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.

Remember, these two aren’t news people…they’re comedians. Jimmy Fallon and Seth Myers…next? Trump and his minions are going after these guys because they have millions of viewers. 

But, how long before the state comes to places of employment of ordinary folks to get them fired for what they said? Don’t think it can happen? Don’t be a fool. That’s what dictatorships do…start at the top and work as far down as needed to control what’s said and done.

This isn’t just a slippery slope…it’s a precipice. Trump is using the Federal Communications Commission to suppress free speech on television and cable networks. If the networks do something he deems not in the public interest (an unflattering Trump reference)…Trump can end that network’s ability to broadcast. 

For those who don’t keep track of history in dictatorships…that’s exactly what happened in both Hungary and Turkey. People in Hungary took back control of their country a couple weeks ago…it took two decades.

Perhaps the most disappointing but powerful Trump supporters are members of the U.S. Supreme Court. Five Conservative Right Wing justices have in most instances allowed Trump to take seemingly illegal and unconstitutional actions. These partisan judges have overturned lawful temporary restraining orders of lower courts on technical or procedural grounds…never speaking on the merits of any appealed case.

So, will Republicans vote for a Democrat…or at least stay home this November during the election? Perhaps, but a lot of Republicans know democracy won’t allow them the power and control they desire. They want a dictatorship. History won’t be kind to any of them…not a single Republican. 

I know, too, that long after Trump and his enablers are gone…the grandchildren of those who stood by and did nothing or pushed Trump’s agendas will likely look back at their families in shame.