Media and legal targeting of Trump does not mean he should be president again

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In the two-plus years since former President Donald Trump left office, GOP voters have had a volatile relationship with him.

Trump has garnered sympathy for some things, such as bearing the brunt of the blame for the disgraceful behavior at the US Capitol on January 6. On the other hand, his claims of a 2020 “stolen” election has exhausted all but the most ardent supporters. Overall, the 45th president does a great job of playing the victim. The problem is, he plays that role all the time, even when the victim is clearly self-harming.

BIDEN’S FINAL PANDEMIC FLIP-FLOP WILL END IT

On March 31, Trump became the first US president to be impeached. A total of 34 cases were filed against him. To the disappointment of her biggest fans, no one booked a photo. The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is flimsy at best. It represents a legal attempt to do political damage to the former president and current Republican presidential candidate in 2024. That Bragg is politically motivated does not absolve Trump of his questionable personal integrity. -conduct related to Stormy Daniels or hush money payments. In all things, Donald J. Trump is flawless. But whether his actions were criminal is another story altogether. It’s a story Democrats want to air. And it’s a story that the Trump team is ready to use as evidence of victimhood.

It is past time for the Republican Party to turn the page and forge a new path away from Trump. The party’s performance in the midterm elections is proof that the connection to Trump is not a sure case for success and, in fact, could make things worse. The political climate in the country is not what it was in 2016 when he appealed to millions of voters fed up with career politicians eager to reject a Hillary Clinton presidency. A lot has changed since then. Biden’s presidency has been a disaster both at home and abroad. Everything, including massive withdrawals from Afghanistan, inflation, and the border crisis, to name a few, point to the need for a Republican takeover at the executive level. But a GOP still stuck in the past seems willing to give Trump a third shot. Reasoning contradicts reality.

Recent polling shows that a 2024 matchup against Biden is likely to be a tough battle, to say the least: “Quinnipiac University … released a national survey that found Biden edging Trump 49% to 45 % in a hypothetical 2024 matchup. A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll revealed Biden’s approval rating by nearly 10-points over Trump, locked in a 34% favorability rating among Americans compared to 25% with favorable opinion on the former president.” Trump is less well-liked. Surprisingly, this dislike is still evident when he is placed in direct competition with an old Democratic Party placeholder whose record as commander in chief is quite appalling. That’s the strength of voters’ contempt for Trump. However, Trump continues to be the favorite of the Republican Party for the 2024 nominee. There seems to be no lesson learned.

There seems to be an internal appeasement campaign going on on the Right side of the political aisle. Trump is an embarrassment to the party in word and deed. How many years has he been like this? Even some of his staunchest supporters know that, no matter how vociferously they publicly support him. But Trump isn’t going away. As a result, the party faithful reverted to this comfort: Trump was the subject of character assassination and unfair media and legal treatment from the start. If he is the subject of constant derision by politicians, pundits, and lawyers, that means he is doing something right. And if he’s doing it right, he deserves a third chance at the presidency. Furthermore, he fights as a representative for the millions who lack power and influence. We cannot leave him now, when so many are returning to him. right?

That Trump is a target in no way qualifies him to be president. It should not qualify for nomination. It should not qualify for blanket support during the campaign. He should not be given the benefit of the doubt on anything. Democrats pointing to him and declaring him unfit does not mean he is fit to serve. Both the Democratic Party and Trump could be wrong. Voters don’t have to choose one or the other. After all, both should be rejected.

There is no room for a candidate who wins once, then loses, and the influence on the 2018 and especially the 2022 midterm elections is damaging. In addition, said candidate not only continues to repeat the lie of a “stolen” second presidential election but spends his days bad mouthing other Republicans, such as effective, popular, young governors . This politician, if they were someone else, would not be given mercy. But surprisingly, Trump’s swing among Republican voters continues. And an indictment with 34 charges, however misguided the legal attempt, warrants another measure of devotion. When exactly will the GOP realize he’s not worth it?

In a New York Times column, pollster Frank Luntz laid out his personal, eight-point plan for “getting Trump out.” This sentence sticks out: “Its not about beating Mr. Trump with a competing ideology. Its about offering Republicans the contrast they seek: a candidate who champions his agenda but with decency, civility and a commitment to personal responsibility and accountability.” The empty political ideologies of current or prospective Republican candidates are quite similar. It is personal behavior, words, and actions that color voters’ perceptions of each other. As it stands, Republicans know all they need to know about Trump. What we see in front of us, every day, is what he is and what he has become. That view isn’t made any more palatable because Democrats are at war with him. Trump may be a victim of some things, but mostly, he is a victim of his own choices, words, and actions. There is no reason to reward the false martyr with another chapter of power.

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Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a Spring 2023 guest fellow at the Independent Womens Forum.

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