Even as Republicans were forced to condemn Donald Trump’s vulgar tweets on Thursday, legendary newsman Dan Rather said there is too much “hypocrisy” and “cowardice” in the GOP for them to completely cut ties with the president.
Rather said the refusal of Republicans to permanently distance themselves from Trump means that the president will continue to be empowered to make the type of “harmful” statements that he did today.
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Hypocrisy & Cowardice: Dan Rather blasts the GOP for refusing to cut ties with Trump pic.twitter.com/DrlS1Au3v5
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— Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) June 30, 2017
Rather blasted Republicans:
Where in the Republican Party are there any profiles in courage? There’s a name for what we’ve been talking about here of playing both sides, when a bad tweet, say, “Oh, that’s terrible,” but then go back to supporting the president. … One of the words is “hypocrisy.” Another of the words is “cowardice.” Nobody wants to go that strong, but we need to say things clearly. That’s what we’re seeing, and until we have some profiles in courage within the Republican Party itself, then this situation isn’t likely to change.
As the former news anchor said on Thursday, even though the majority of the country believes the president’s repeatedly unhinged and inappropriate rhetoric is hurting the country – and damaging the way the world sees the United States – it plays well with the minority of the country that strongly supports Trump.
The more Trump spews inflammatory rhetoric, the more enthusiastic and riled up his base becomes, and the Republican Party needs these voters to win elections, particularly during the primary season.
Almost on a daily basis, the president says and does things that would have been condemned by both parties in the past – when there was such a thing as political courage.
In the era of Donald Trump, though, there is no such thing as courage in the Republican Party. This cowardice may help the GOP hold onto its base by not turning off rabid Trump supporters, but it’s doing great long-term damage to America’s political system.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.