Even though Donald Trump faces 91 felony counts in four separate criminal cases and a long list of other legal troubles, Republican leaders are lining up to endorse him for a second term as president. While this isn’t shocking given the realities of the modern GOP, it’s certainly discouraging for those hoping the Republican Party will one day return to being a political party with principles. Bending the knee to Trump isn’t a simple performative act. It is dangerous. We’ve seen what Trump will do with power.
On one hand, this noncommittal non-endorsement could be seen as a brave move. Republicans have been cast out of the party for less. On the other, we’ve seen this script before.
That’s why Americans should take notice when a select few Republicans buck the trend, as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine did recently when she signaled she won’t support Trump in his campaign to take back the White House. When Collins was asked whether she plans to endorse Trump if he clinches the Republican presidential nomination, the Portland Press Herald reports, Collins responded: “I do not at this point, no.”
Now, this isn’t exactly a new form of resistance from Collins. During the 2016 presidential race, she said she wrote in the name of another Republican rather than place her vote for Trump. But in 2020, she dodged questions about Trump’s re-election effort. This is why it’s important to underline how Collins framed her answer: “at this point, no.”
On one hand, this noncommittal non-endorsement could be seen as a brave move. Republicans have been cast out of the party for less. On the other, we’ve seen this script before. In February 2020, Collins voted to acquit Trump after the House impeached him for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. At the time, she explained her vote by telling CBS News that Trump learned “a pretty big lesson.” Collins added, “I believe that he will be much more cautious in the future.” That caution flew…
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