This series lists Republicans, Trump appointees and veterans of previous Republican presidencies now dissing The Donald. We show why they are doing this.
This is part 41. For earlier episodes, click on Alan Austin, above, and scroll down the page.
Click on the name for the source of the quote.
257. John Porter, Republican congressman for Illinois for 21 years:
“You’ve got to remember that they [Trumpist Republicans] are not only cutting the National Institutes of Health; they are cutting all kinds of safety net programs. My message to anybody is get out there and participate in democracy, where everybody gets a chance to have input, and every vote counts ... Am I still a Republican? Well, let me put it this way. I never left the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me. If I was there, I wouldn’t be voting with the Trumpistas. Believe me.” [16 March, 2018]
258. Lisa Wright, lifelong Republican in Northern Virginia, 20-year congressional staffer:
“Trump is the worst president of all, combining more lies, more corruption, more malignant division, more cruelty and more incompetence than all previous presidents all put together.” [July, 2020]
259. Dr Tom Campbell, Republican ex-congressman for California, served on the Africa subcommittee on international relations, now professor of law and economics at Chapman University:
“President Trump's views expressed as a candidate that, referring to Hillary Clinton, ‘If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.’ He then paused. That was a clear invocation of violence — and the Republican party failed to stand up to him. I haven't regretted for a minute my decision to leave the Republican party.” [5 November, 2018]
260. Stan Tinter, lifelong Republican in Maryland, internist for Republican congressmen:
“There is no way I could vote for Trump. He is a despicable human. At some point policy is outweighed by human decency, and he has none. I think he is racist, he is sexist, I think he is an all round crap human being. I would vote for a comatose Joe Biden over Donald Trump.” [August, 2020]
261. Claudine Schneider, former Republican congresswoman for Rhode Island and founding member of Republicans for Integrity:
“The Russian government paid bounties – up to $100,000 – to Taliban fighters for killing American troops in Afghanistan. Yet Trump remains silent, trying instead to ignite a racist cultural war that pits Americans against Americans. Where is the outrage from every Republican? Every senator and representative should stand united in defending America’s national security, American soldiers’ lives and America’s interests. Instead, Republicans are either making excuses for Trump or changing the subject.” [9 July 2020]
And from the archives:
262. Sherwood Boehlert, former Republican congressman for New York:
together with:
263. Tom Petri, former Republican congressman for Wisconsin:
together with:
264. Bob Bauman, former Republican congressman for Maryland:
“As Republican members of Congress, we took pride in representing a political party that stood for honest and principled public leadership in which the American people could place their trust. Sadly, our party’s nominee this year [Trump] is a man who makes a mockery of the principles and values we have cherished and which we sought to represent in Congress.” [10 June, 2016]
To be continued ...
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Alan Austin’s defamation matter is nearly over. You can read an update HERE and help out by contributing to the crowd-funding campaign HERE. Alan is a freelance journalist, a columnist with Independent Australia, a diarist (unpaid) with Daily Kos and a contributor to other publications. You can follow him on Twitter @AlanAustin001.