#StopTheGrift
60% of the Republicans in Congress signed onto a resolution attempting to overturn the election results for their party’s leader, President Donald Trump. The Trump Campaign and Republicans across the country have filed over 50 lawsuits attempting to overturn the election, most being outright rejected. We are over a month past the election, and there is not a single piece of convincing evidence of fraud or wrong doing, yet the GOP just won’t give it up. Joe Biden won the popular vote by over 7 million votes and won the Electoral College by more than Trump did in 2016. President Trump lost and it’s time to do what we have done 45 times in American history; go through our democratic process of a peaceful transition of power.
At what point will we begin to ask ourselves if the Republican Party leadership is acting in good faith for the American people, or if they are just grifting off a dying party, to benefit themselves and their donor class.
The Republican Party, under the leadership of Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani, has raised an estimated $207.5 million to “fund” their frivolous lawsuits attempting to overturn the results of the election. The GOP conned the American People into donating $207.5 million to “defend” the President, money that could have been spent supporting our economy as the American people struggle through this COVID Pandemic.
All the while, the Federal Government can’t come together to pass meaningful COVID relief that could directly support struggling people and small businesses, because of the Republican Party’s selective conservatism. They of course can find the money to support their donor class by bailing out the banks, or the airlines, or giving tax breaks to the wealthy, but when it comes to bailing out the American People, they always come up broke.
We know that the one of most effective tools for economic stimulus, especially in a downturn, is direct payments to people and businesses. Yet somehow the Republican controlled Federal Government is ready to let us go over 6 months without meaningful COVID Relief. While the wealthiest Americans have made an additional $12.5 trillion dollars who, relative to the average person, will pay next to nothing in taxes next April. Sure, they are willing to negotiate another $1200 direct stimulus check (pennies compared to what other developed nations have already done) but only if we pass 5 year long qualified immunity for all COVID related cases for corporations. This qualified immunity would effectively give business owners permission to be reckless with their employees and customers lives without the risk of recourse. I am proud of the patriots in Congress who say that our lives and dignity are simply worth more than $1200, and shame on Republican leadership for putting corporate interests over the interests of the American People.
No one should be surprised by this. In 2016, The Republican Party got conned into falling in line behind a con artist, who has an extensive history of cheating the system and the people who work for him. The GOP leadership chose what appeared to be the path of least resistance because they were afraid of the political implications of standing up to Donald Trump. Now, they are exhausting all political capital, including undermining our Constitution, to hold onto their last shreds of power.
There is a reason known white supremacist groups are continuing to “fight” to keep Donald Trump in office. It is not because they think they can overturn the results of the election. It is because every shred of doubt they can put in the minds of the American people furthers their goal of dividing us, creating hate and violence, and holding on to the outsized empowerment of wealthy white people through oppressive minority rule.
These hate groups and Republican politicians, from federal to local leaders, are taking from the same play book. They are creating doubt in our Democracy, by undermining our free and fair elections, which creates space for more division and hatred from those who benefit from it. They are politicizing the largest global public health crisis in a century, framing data driven restrictions, such as mask wearing and limits on gatherings, as taking away their “autonomy” while there is nothing autonomous about community spread of COVID-19. They are polarizing the ongoing civil rights movement in this country, when the vast majority of Americans believe we should come together to protect the Civil Rights of all people.
I am not surprised that white supremacism is thriving under Donald Trump, or that the Republican Party is tapping into it as a last-ditch effort to hold onto power, but I am surprised at how much of the American people are turning a blind eye to it.
Where are the patriots in the Republican Party? The Patriots who will put the country over party, reject white supremacism, listen to science and pass economic relief to beat COVID, and bring our country together under our newly elected president, Joe Biden.
#StopTheGrift
