From: Steve Jasper
Columbus
Citizens get information about political candidates from a wide variety of sources. If it is a local race, we may know one or more of the candidates personally, through volunteer work or church attendance or employment or any number of other possible connections. However, as we rise into the political stratosphere of state and national offices, we are less likely to have any direct contact with the candidates. I am guessing that no one reading this has ever had a sit-down, one-on-one conversation with former President Trump or Vice-President Harris.
So, how do we learn about them? Many sources are out there, such as debates, interviews, speeches, campaign rallies, TV ads, social media postings, position papers, previous history, press conferences, and more. But perhaps, most impactful are the comments of other people who have worked closely with these individuals and had contact with them on a regular basis.
And this source of information paints a troubling picture of former President Trump. All former presidents have critics who were associates during their administrations, but the number who have stepped forward to express serious concerns about the former president is significant.
John Kelly, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, describes Trump as “a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators” and who “has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”
Mark Esper, a former Trump Defense Secretary, called Trump “a threat to democracy.”
Rex Tillerson, Trump’s first Secretary of State, expressed that Trump’s “understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of U.S. history was really limited.”
Bill Barr, a former Trump Attorney-General, stated that Trump is “a consummate narcissist” who “engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk.”
John Bolton, Trump’s second National Security Advisor, states his belief that the large number of former associates who have campaigned against Trump “proves that it really is Trump’s flawed character, lack of knowledge, lack of philosophy, lack of fitness that has them concerned.”
And finally, Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-president and arguably his most ardent supporter during the Trump administration, has said that he “cannot in good conscience” endorse Trump for another term.
These are a relatively small number of former associates who have expressed concern about Mr. Trump returning to the Oval Office. (There are many, many more.) To be clear, none of them are Democrats. None of them are former political opponents. They are all conservative, life-long Republicans. They were all chosen by former President Trump to serve in his administration. They all worked to carry out his policies, and they knew him well. However, there were moral, ethical, and, yes, even legal lines they were unwilling to cross.
We ignore them at our peril and also at the nation’s peril.
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