Patriotism, Not Naivete

The American people have spoken, and Donald J. Trump will again be the president of the United States.

As patriots, we wish President Trump well, because his success is now our country’s success. To be sure, tens of millions of people are waking up disappointed this morning, even fearful.

Yet for every voter who is disappointed, there is someone who is energized and excited by the former president’s victory last night. Willingness to accept the outcome of free and fair elections—even an outcome one finds deeply unsettling—is an essential ingredient for a functioning democracy.

Still, goodwill should not be mistaken for naivete. President Trump cannot claim the benefit of the doubt, as he might have in November 2016, when he was untested as a public official.

And we cannot plead ignorance. We witnessed how President Trump ran roughshod over the very principles we are now appealing to: the rule of law, the integrity of elections, and the peaceful transfer of power. On the international stage, we saw how he embraced dictators and subordinated American national interests to his personal political vendettas.

To blindly hope that President Trump will somehow be different this time around when all evidence points to the contrary would be a dereliction of our duty as active citizens.

We at the Renew Democracy Initiative believe that all public servants—whether Republicans or Democrats, President Trump, President Biden, or Vice President Harris—should be fairly scrutinized by their constituents. We will be closely monitoring the next president’s policies in that spirit.

Democracy is challenging. It does not always yield the results we want. It requires us to tolerate players who do not respect the rulebook. But it does not require us to stay silent.

RDI’s work is informed by those who have had to fight for freedom around the world. We look to the people of Poland, who recently peacefully reclaimed their country from would-be authoritarians who sought to dilute their democracy and erode their institutions. If necessary, we are prepared to follow their example, and that of others who have bravely held the line for freedom.

No political figure in recent historical memory has so singularly warped our national discourse as President Trump. His demagogic presence in our politics has made every election and every debate for nearly a decade a referendum on his own character. His victory last night means that this dynamic could play out for at least another four years. We need to prepare ourselves for a long road ahead, but also identify an exit ramp from this morass.

This should be a moment of reflection for Trump’s opponents: If they are sincere in the seriousness of the threat he poses for democracy, then they need to show it. Running a geriatric candidate and then swapping him out three months before election day was not meeting the moment, to say the least.

It’s easy to look back and despair. Today, many Americans—and millions of people the world over, who look to the United States for leadership and inspiration—need reassurance. When it is not forthcoming from our leaders, it is up to ordinary citizens to step in.

Here is what I can promise you on behalf of RDI: We will redouble our efforts to amplify the voices of political dissidents, whose insights are more valuable than ever. We will recommit to supplying direct material aid to Ukraine and working with legislators of both parties to ensure the fight against authoritarian aggression remains an American priority, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office. And we will never stop fighting for our democratic institutions at home and for our allies in the free world.

Now, we need to build as broad a coalition as possible, one that centers around core American values that resonate with a broader swath of the population as well as the defense of our democratic institutions against authoritarians abroad and budding ones at home.

We will be reaching out again soon with new ideas and approaches in this fight. Stay engaged in the coming weeks and months. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. And feel free to email us at [email protected].

In solidarity,

Uriel Epshtein

CEO, Renew Democracy Initiative