Why Republican Support for Trump is Unwavering
Democrat condemnation of the Republican party for their support of Trump is no secret, as is the deafening GOP silence in response to the slow disintegration of our democracy. It’s both increasingly perplexing and understandably, of great concern to many.
In 1974, conscience, the rule of law and the constitution prompted three leading Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, Senator Barry Goldwater and House Minority Leader John Rhodes to go to the the White House to tell Nixon he did not have the support to survive impeachment and conviction proceedings. The references and comparisons to Watergate and Nixon’s downfall have permeated the news for two years now; the similarities are glaring but the Republican defense of Trump is unwavering. The question is why? The answer as I see it, is that the times are just so different, especially when it comes to the privileged in this nation maintaining their power.
In 1974 the powers that be were as white, christian and male as one could imagine and any minorities were subjugated to their will by law or otherwise. This majority was as racist as one would imagine, but the difference between then and now, is that they did not feel their power and dominance was threatened either by minority population numbers or their political influence. This was especially true in what we now call the red states, where institutional white power was almost absolute.
Forty years later, the changes have been dramatic. In 1974, there was a population of about 14 million Hispanics in the United States. In 2018, there were almost 60 million. The number of Muslims living in the United States has tripled since 1974, to almost 4 million in 2018 and estimates show that the Muslim population is growing by roughly 100,000 per year, driven both by higher fertility rates among Muslim and increased immigration rates. By 2040, Muslims are projected to be the nation’s second-largest religious group after Christians.
The fear of the majority white populace of becoming a minority had become more prevalent over time, but remained mostly buried in fringe rhetoric or silence as it became politically unwise to embrace racism outwardly. But the campaign and election of Trump changed all that as for the first time in the modern era, white supremacist ideology and legal attempts to halt the immigration of Latinos and Muslims were embraced publicly by a president, emboldening racists and others of that mindset throughout the country. It’s why David Duke, the KKK, white supremacists and neo-Nazis applauded his election. Along with this insidious reality, the Republicans in Congress have become paralyzed and increasingly afraid of incurring the wrath of their constituents if they turned against Trump. And so here we are.
There are other ancillary reasons for Republican silence in the face of Trump’s daily assault on the truth and the rule of law, but I believe the primary reason is the racist fear of the white majority detailed above. It’s the gasoline that fuels this disturbing time in our history and the only sure way to turn this around is to vote, to make sure that the power rests with those who stand in opposition to racism and bigotry.