The Silence of the Republicans

Trump is a Monster, But Those Who Recognize That But Don't Oppose Him in the GOP Are a Disgrace

This week former U.S. National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster made the rounds promoting his new book. I will not include the name of the book here because I do not think you or anyone should buy it.

As you may know, I am a historian of the National Security Council, having written a couple books and a slew of article about it, it’s functioning, and the people behind it over the years. I’ve really devoted a great deal of my life to its study, to meeting those who worked within the NSC and with those from around world impacted by its decisions.

So I hope it carries some weight when I tell you that McMaster, who came to the job of National Security Advisor with strong credentials, did a lousy job in crucial post. He enabled Trump more often than he challenged him. U.S. foreign policy on his watch, from 2017 to 2018, was a muddled mess, he did not particularly distinguish himself in the management of the national security process and he has certainly not done so since.

His book contains some moments of candor about Trump’s performance that one wishes, as is so often the case in these memoirs, that he’d had the courage to discuss while Trump was still in office…or in forums the purpose of which was not specifically to put cash in his pocket through the sale of books. He has said in his book (which I believe I may have mentioned you should not buy) foreign leaders treated Trump like a "chump", that he did not understand’s Putin’s hold on our 45th president, that the White House under Trump was often chaotic and he described Trump’s myriad foibles and weaknesses as a leader.

At the same time, he has said that in the coming election he is not worried about Trump being elected again and he has suggested he considered the Democrats to be an equivalent or greater threat that his former boss. In other words, like many other Republicans he sought to cash in by revealing some Trump dirty laundry but he also refused to challenge Trump’s leadership of the GOP. In other words, he’s just another patsy, trying to befriend the media and not alienate Trump, displaying none of the character or fortitude you would expect of a senior military officer or a decent human being.

It’s despicable behavior. But, as we all know, it is all too common.

As repellant as Trump is and has been, as repulsive as he behaves on a daily basis, as great a threat as he—traitor, felon, a man who has stolen national secrets, attacked our allies and cozied up to our enemies—he would not be in power if the leadership of the Republican Party had not rolled over, pointed their paws in the air, and sent a clear message of submission to the racist, rapist, fraudster who is regarded by historians as the worst president in our history.

This week alone we have seen despicable act after despicable act from Trump—desecrating Arlington National Cemetery, once again revealing his disregard for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for America, reposting vile insinuations about Kamala Harris, repeating his racist and misogynist assertions about her, lying to the American people about position after position he holds—and yet with very few exceptions (Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger) the vast majority of the leaders of the GOP do not renounce Trump, do not speak out against the threat he poses, do not take action to ensure that he is not elected again.