A prominent GOP senator admitted on Saturday that in the Donald Trump era of American politics, he “regularly” considers leaving the Republican Party.
In a tweet, GOP Sen. Ben Sasse said, “Yep — regularly consider it.”
yep — regularly consider it
(except the “from Dem†part) https://t.co/ZZCQKOPhL9— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) September 8, 2018
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When Twitter users responded to him by blaming Trump for the current woes of the GOP, Sasse seemed to agree.
“He is accelerating the trend, obviously,” the Nebraska senator said. “But it didn’t start two years ago.”
He is accelerating the trend, obviously. But it didn’t start two years ago. (Eg, you should check out the polling on the giant share of Democrats that believed George W. Bush knowingly concealed the 9/11 plot against America.) https://t.co/tJPswgbO8d
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) September 8, 2018
If anti-Trump Republicans want to be heroes, they’ll do something
If Republican officials like Sen. Ben Sasse want to be heroes and have history look back kindly on them, they need to do something substantive to stand up to an out-of-control president.
Words aren’t going to cut it anymore, especially when they’re followed up by no constructive actions.
It’s not enough for these GOP lawmakers to make occasional speeches on the Senate floor or post edgy comments on social media. It’s not enough for them to show empty “concern” about Trump’s behavior while doing nothing about it.
The same applies to the author of this week’s anonymous op-ed in the New York Times. Sure, it’s nice to see someone within the administration admit this president is a clear and present danger to the United States, but as President Obama said on Friday, it’s not enough. It shouldn’t be applauded.
Until Republicans like Ben Sasse decide to do something about Trump, they should be viewed no differently than the most loyal Trump allies. After all, while their rhetoric may differ, their actions are all the same.
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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.
