Sorry, Republicans, you don’t get to cut ties with Trump after enabling him
To the editor: President Trump’s legacy could have been “something positive” despite his losing the election? This ridiculous claim by Republican advisor Scott Jennings only underscores the tragic blind spot the GOP has in relation to the same Donald Trump who, during his first campaign, openly engaged in racism and misogyny, bullied and ridiculed his opponents and their families and mocked a differently abled reporter in front of an approving crowd.
During his first year in office, he said some of the people marching with neo-Nazis and other white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., were “fine people.” Trump’s legacy was defined long before he lost the popular vote in his first election and his four years of dishonorable service in the White House since.
A majority of Republican elected officials and Republican voters across the country have stood with him during this entire shameful time. He’ll leave office in a blaze of disgrace all right, but one would think that any person who respects basic common decency would have never established ties with this scoundrel in the first place, much less decide to cut them now.
Mitch O’Farrell, Los Angeles
The writer is a member of the Los Angeles City Council.
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To the editor: The majority of the Republican Party leadership has abandoned its patriotic duty to the Constitution. They incited sedition rather than surrender to a peaceful transfer of power. They have lied to the American people by declaring that a fair and legal election was fraudulent.
Now, we have had to protect our Capitol with fences, police officers and National Guard troops in order to simply secure a democratic transfer of power.
The entire world is shocked and saddened that our own Republican Party brought this about. And given the chance to repudiate this behavior, only 10 Republican House members voted for impeachment, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refuses to admit his party’s incitement of seditious acts.
Now it is up to the GOP to repent and protect the Constitution without any bargaining or extortion for more power. Republican senators should convict Trump in the impeachment trial; in doing so they could redeem themselves, protect the country and show the world that the longest enduring democracy still stands.
Karen Hill, Yorba Linda
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To the editor: Although it’s nice to see that Jennings thinks Republicans must now cut all ties with Trump, I hardly think that he can say that McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence “stood tall” on Jan. 6.
While they did reject Trump’s demands to disregard the Constitution, they did this as they saw the ship sinking. Where were they all these years when Trump disregarded the Constitution in less violent ways?
No, they do not stand tall. Along with all of Trump’s followers, they should hang their heads in shame.
Susan Shell, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Jennings reminds me of the frog in the pot who finally realizes the water is boiling. The rest of the sentient world has been watching the flames grow higher and higher these last four years with each of Trump’s atrocious tweets and horrific policies.
Welcome to the real world, Mr. Jennings. It’s too little, too late from Republican apologists like you, but welcome nonetheless.
Sharie Lieberg, Oxnard
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To the editor: How wrong for Republicans to compare the protests over the summer to the riot at the Capitol.
The protests in the summer were based upon a truth: Too many Black people are being killed by police. It is true that there is racism in society. Protesting because of a truth is different than rioting for Trump’s lie that he won the election.
Saying that the Democrats supported these protests is not wrong, but I don’t think anyone supported violence.
Jeff Dugan, Upland
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To the editor: Referring to the horrors of the attack on the Capitol, politicians and news commentators have been declaring, “This is not who we are.”
Really?
Hal Greenfader, Los Angeles
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
