Office Hours: What the hell do they tell themselves?How do Trump's Republican enablers in Congress, the Cabinet, and the White House justify their roles in dismantling American democracy?
Friends, I’ve been wondering what Trump’s Republican enablers and lapdogs in Congress, in his Cabinet, and in his White House tell themselves to justify their roles in helping Trump dismantle American democracy. Have they no consciences? Recall that the consciences of just two Republicans, Brad Raffensperger and Mike Pence, spared America a coup d’état after the 2020 election. Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, refused Trump’s demand to steal “exactly 11,780 votes” so that Trump could carry Georgia. And Pence, in the face of the violent occupation of Congress, refused Trump’s direct order to reject the electoral count. That Raffensperger and Pence did what they did raises the question of why more Republican office holders today aren’t resisting this madman. If just five Republicans in the House and Senate (not to mention two Supreme Court justices) were to say no to Trump, his regime would end. I can think of four possible justifications they give themselves: 1. They really believe Trump is good for America. As hard as this may be to believe, one should never underestimate the capacity of human beings to rationalize their behavior to themselves — especially when they stand to gain power, prestige, and potential wealth. But some of them must be feeling tension between their personal ideals and what they’re enabling. Some must also be facing the rejection of family and friends who are aghast at what they are enabling. So why aren’t any standing up against him? 2. They relish their positions and power so much that they’re willing to sacrifice their integrity. The power and prestige that comes with being a member of Congress, Cabinet member, Supreme Court justice, or White House adviser is not inconsiderable. Add to this the special bonus that if they’re sufficiently sycophantic toward Trump, he’ll reward them with invitations to White House state dinners and confabs in Mar-a-Lago. Yet what is the use of power if you can’t use it for what you believe? And how valuable is prestige if a large percent of the population (including future generations) detest you for enabling a tyrant to destroy American democracy? 3. They’ve convinced themselves that they’re stopping even worse violations of the Constitution and human rights by remaining loyal to Trump. This stance is familiar to me, as I’ve held positions I considered leaving because I felt they compromised my beliefs and values — but I remained in office because I thought I could stop even worse. But few if any of Trump’s current Republican enablers, in Congress or in the Cabinet or in the White House, have given any hint of opposing Trump’s destructive march. There’s no evidence that any of them has tried to or succeeded in stopping him. 4. They tell themselves that they’ll be rewarded financially. When they leave their current position, they’ll be in line for a lucrative job in the private sector by a Trump-supporting CEO or in a Trump-affiliated lobbying or public-relations firm. Or if they’re particularly loyal, they’ll get advance inside information on when Trump will do what, so they can make a bundle in the stock market. Yet many of Trump’s enablers were already rich when they took their government positions. Others could have found jobs in the private sector that paid them far more than what they’re now earning. If wealth were a major motive, presumably they could find easier alternatives than selling their souls. So today’s Office Hours question: What do you think Trump’s enablers in Congress, his Cabinet, and the White House tell themselves to justify their roles in destroying American democracy?
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