Political Issue: Republicans against Donald Trump

Caroline Steidley, opinions writer| October 16, 2020

Laurel Seidensticker

Republicans are turning on Trump as the election is progressing.

With so much political activism these past few months, a hot topic of conversation is how the upcoming election will turn out. That being said, Republicans will vote for Donald Trump and Democrats will vote for Joe Biden, right? Not this election. Trump’s actions in office have caused many Republicans to support his opposition, Joe Biden. 

 Many Republican officials are now  questioning Trump’s  ability to run. For instance, former Republican New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman said at the Democratic National Convention that the election, “isn’t about a Republican or Democrat. It’s about a person: a person strong enough to get our economy back on track. A person who can work with everyone, Democrats and Republicans, to get things done. Donald Trump isn’t that person. Joe Biden is.” 

Other Republicans are speaking out against Trump, too. Rick Snyder, former Republican Governor of Michigan, said in an interview with Axios, he will not vote for Trump because “President Trump lacks a moral compass” and “ignores the truth.” When asked why they no longer support Trump, former national security officials and U.S. ambassadors wrote in a co-signed, detailed letter: “We have concluded that Donald Trump has failed our country and that Vice President Joe Biden should be elected the next President of the United States.”

Republicans usually support their party’s candidate, and the same goes for Democrats. In past elections, there have been political officials that supported the opposing party’s candidate. However, it has never been this severe. There has never been a whole Republican coalition and organization against their running candidate as well as nearly 100 Republicans and independent leaders endorsing Democratic party. 

Not only did Republicans endorse Biden, but they also spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Meg Whitman, Christine Todd Whitman among others all gave short speeches explaining why they think Biden is the better candidate. Meg Whitman started her speech off by saying, “…I’m a long time Republican and a long time CEO and let me tell you, Donald Trump has no clue how to run a business. Let alone an economy. Joe Biden on the other hand has a plan that will strengthen our economy for working people and small business owners.” 

However, there has never been a whole organization devoted to criticizing their own candidate. The Lincoln Project is an organization that’s purpose is to hold those accountable who violate their oaths to the Constitution and would put others before Americans. According to their website, they believe, “President Donald Trump and those who sign onto Trumpism are a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our Republic.” Their main policy differences with Democrats remain the same, however they agree that the priority for all patriotic Americans must be a shared devotion to the Constitution and a commitment to defeat those candidates who have discarded their constitutional oaths, regardless of party. Their website is filled with continuous updates about the election and information on how to help make sure Trump does not get reelected. Their organization was created by conservatives who have voted Republican for the past 200 years. This year, however, they have sparked nationwide to annihilate Trump and Trumpism. 

Some students have also come to the conclusion that President Trump is not the president for our future. In a TKC survey, 19% (50/258) of students said they are a Republican who previously supported Trump. Only 14% (30/258) said they would still support him. Continuing to support Trump is becoming less popular throughout all age groups.

Trump has yet to speak on Republicans supporting the opposite party. Many people believe this has revealed Donald Trump’s true character. Republicans and political figures continuing to support Trump is becoming unusual. Conservatives have come to the conclusion that Trump can no longer perform his job and this is very unusual in comparison to past elections. 

November will be a turning point for American history. Everyone has polarizing opinions which can make it hard to talk about. With so many Republicans voting against Trump, it’s hard to see who will be victorious. All things considered, it is extremely important that you vote so your voice can be heard as well.