I’m not going to waste space here stating what I believe about Donald Trump. Anyone who has read my Townhall columns, or my posts here, knows I have defended the man decisively. My record is clear.
My point in this essay is that there appears to be a growing movement, the “Only Trump” movement, that believes Donald Trump is the ONLY person who can save America, that no other Republican should even be considered, and, most ominously, if you don’t agree, you are an unreasonable, stupid, traitor who is unfit to be an American. Other Townhall writers have noted, and written about, this phenomena. It is not healthy, it is cultish.
A couple of examples. Mr. Trump often refers to the Democratic Party (its official name) as the “Democrat Party.” In my most recent Townhall post, a couple of people chastised me severely for not using the term “Democrat Party.” I was a stupid, unreasoning brute because I didn’t do so. We now, apparently, must use Mr. Trump’s language or we are un-American. Another commenter, recently, said he would never read any of my articles again because of some (provable) criticism of Mr. Trump. Kurt Schlichter, one of the most popular Townhall writers, has been called a “traitor” for suggesting we need to let the primary system work its way through the candidates and find the best to represent the Republican Party next year. This is heresy to the “Only Trumpers,” the nomination should be Trump’s with no debate. This is not only unhealthy, it’s dangerous.
It’s also cultish.
I will support Mr. Trump in 2024, as I did in 2016 and 2020, if he is the Republican Party nominee. But I don’t think he is God, not even close, and I’m not going to join his slavish cult followers. It is possible that some of these “Only Trump” commenters on Townhall are actually liberal trolls trying to divide the Republican Party faithful. That isn’t an impossibility. But if these people really are serious Trump supporters, they are way off base. This reminds me of Hitlerism; not that Mr. Trump is anywhere near being an Adolf Hitler, but his followers are glorifying him the same way the Nazi faithful glorified and elevated Hitler as the only possible savior of their country. We must not exalt any human to that position. THAT is un-American.
I don’t blame Mr. Trump for the attitude of his followers, though I do blame Mr. Trump for his constant, party-dividing attacks on Ron DeSantis and others he perceives as a threat to his re-nomination. If he is the best candidate, let his character and policy statements, not his insults, prove that to the members of the Republican Party. If he is not very careful, he—and his cult-like followers—are going to so divide the Republican Party that they will throw the election next year to the Democratic Party candidate. That would be a disaster.
Think, people,
please think and stop emoting.
