YOUR TURN: Trump's GOP is too extreme for Republicans like me – Gaston Gazette
I am a proud conservative and longtime Republican, who has spent my life serving the party. I even spent time on the board of the Mecklenburg County GOP serving the greater Charlotte area. I was proud to cast my vote for Nikki Haley in this year’s Republican primary.
But I’ve been disappointed to see the party I have championed my entire life become unrecognizable under the leadership of Donald Trump.
As a Republican, I always want to support our party’s nominee. I want to support someone who is aligned with my lifelong conservative beliefs – but Donald Trump is making the choice this year impossible.
Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party I once knew – his agenda is more focused on violence, revenge, and retribution – not true conservative values.
The Republican Party I know believes in American freedom and in protecting democracy. But Trump and those Republicans who choose to follow him are attacking our democracy, embracing conspiracies and threatening political violence. Trump has even warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses.
Trump has stolen my party. He’s repeated tried to silence principled conservatism and replaced that with political violence. Indeed, those of us who opposed Donald Trump in favor of other, more experienced civil servants now find ourselves “Permanently Barred” from Trump’s warped version of the Republican Party.
Both Republicans and Democrats should respect the peaceful transfer of power, which our founders created as a cornerstone of American democracy. We saw Trump’s violent rhetoric on January 6th when insurrectionists assaulted the Capitol to stop this transfer. Trump lied to the American people about the election, and his disregard for the rule of law should terrify North Carolinians of both parties.
Trump has promised to be a dictator on day one. That does not sound like the America I know and love or how either party should be leading.
In Trump’s GOP, conservatives like me who still believe in the principles of democracy and the Constitution, have no choice but to speak out.
Republicans like me cannot stay silent about where we’re headed – to a Republican Party that serves only one man and punishes anyone who disagrees with him. We have a duty to stand up against dictators and authoritarian leaders, just like we have done for other democracies around the world.
Donald Trump does not stand for our beliefs.
He talks about the crisis at the southern border which I’m also worried about, but when both Senate Republicans and Democrats worked together on the strongest bipartisan bill to secure the border in decades, Trump killed it. Not because of policy, but because of politics.
Republicans have historically been strong, staunch supporters of personal freedom and liberties. We stand up to our enemies when they work to dismantle democracy around the world.
Yet, following Trump’s lead, his congressional allies held up aid for Ukraine for months, costing many Ukrainian lives and stalling their fight against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
I’m speaking directly to my fellow Republicans when I say: Donald Trump poses a grave threat to our democracy that we may not be able to recover from if he is elected. There are plenty of things I disagree with Joe Biden on – but none come close to the fundamental terror of allowing Donald Trump back in the White House. And I can support a decent man who is not pushing for the downfall of our democracy or putting the American people last.
I know there are many Republicans like me who are “Permanently Barred” and are going to stand up against what our party has become under Trump – who will reject his hatred, division, and attacks on our republic. True Republicans will stand up to save our republic from Donald Trump by voting for Joe Biden this November.
Michael Tucker is a resident of Gastonia.