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I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this election week, and I need to get some of these thoughts out. This post might ramble a bit; hope you’ll bear with me and indulge my stream of consciousness.
Do you remember the election of 2016? Not the crazy night when Donald Trump, against all odds, beat Hillary Clinton. I’m talking about six to 12 months before that. Remember all those Republican candidates for president? There were like 15 or 16 candidates that year, and every single one of them at some point scoffed at Trump, at the very idea that someone like him could become President of the United States. Some of them warned us, presciently, about exactly who he is and what he would do.
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Where are they all now? A few ended up becoming Trump’s biggest cheerleaders and enablers. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in particular were especially critical of Trump back then, and look where they are now. Others kind of disappeared from the political scene altogether. When was the last time you heard the names Carly Fiorina or Jim Gilmore? The rest became Never Trumpers—either right away (John Kasich, Jeb Bush) or eventually (Chris Christie).
During Trump’s first term, there were a lot of Never Trump and Trump-skeptical Republicans in office. Jeff Flake, Ben Sasse, Mitt Romney, to name a few. Paul Ryan, then the House Speaker, was famously not a Trump fan. There was a sense that this unofficial caucus would hold Trump in check, help rein in his worst instincts. Only Romney ended up voting to convict Trump following his first impeachment trial. Ten House Republicans and seven Senators voted against him following the Jan. 6 insurrection—not nearly enough.
Where are they all now? Where are all those officeholders who once openly criticized and protested Trump? Where are they? I know most are now out of office, but what are they actually doing right now? Because I don’t hear any of them out here condemning this President every damn day. Aside from me, I can name only one other former Republican officeholder who is still at it every day: Adam Kinzinger. Now, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there are more, and I’m just not seeing it. But he’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head.
And this is what I don’t understand. Trump is no less a threat now than he was then. On the contrary, he’s a far greater threat. So why aren’t these former Republican lawmakers, who had the guts to speak up five years ago, seven years ago, 10 years ago, so quiet now, when it matters most? Where the hell are they? The silence is deafening.
If I’m wrong, please tell me. If they’re out there, and I’m just missing it, please let me know. Because we need them out there. We need everyone out there. Like George W. Bush. He’s the only surviving Republican former President. Where is he? I know he’d like to just be retired and paint and watch baseball, and if this were the “before times,” that’s exactly what he should be doing. According to the old norms, past presidents are supposed to keep their mouths shut about the current administration. And that was fine…then. We don’t have that luxury now.
I’m not trying to pat myself on the back, but I do feel a little alone out here at times. The ex-Republican resistance community is big, but it’s mostly commentators, political operatives, former military and government officials, and everyday Americans. And they are all wonderful. But there are very few former Republican elected officeholders out here fighting this fight, day in and day out, loudly and proudly. And vanishingly few have actually become Democrats—it’s just me, David Jolly, and Geoff Duncan, to my knowledge. There are likely many more on the state and local levels. Nationally, I can’t think of any others. But I could be wrong.
Now, I will say this about my new party, one thing I’ve noticed since I became a Democrat. On the right, when a left-winger shifts allegiances, MAGA welcomes them with open arms. Hell, they put them in their administration. We could use a little more of that energy on the left. Don’t get me wrong, most rank-and-file Democrats have been awesome, making me feel very at home since I joined the party. But Democratic leadership? Not so much. So it’s possible that my anti-Trump Republican colleagues just don’t know where they fit in anymore. The GOP exiled them, and Democrats don’t want them.
And to be fair, in my case, I said some really, really unwoke things back in the day. If you didn’t get to know me until after I turned against Trump and had a life-altering come-to-Jesus moment that forced me to take a good, hard look at myself, you might not understand why I say I was a “divisive political asshole.” But I was. It’s the truth. I’m not proud of it, but I also don’t hide it, because it shows how far I’ve come. You can find some of the very worst things I said if you scroll back 10+ years on my Twitter/X account. (Brace yourself. It’s not pretty.) So maybe I’m a bit like kryptonite to Democrats. I get it.
But it does make me wonder: what if I wanted to run for President? Could I do it as a Democrat? Would it even be possible? I think I would make a good candidate because I understand the right (after all, I came from MAGA and still engage with Trump supporters regularly), and I understand the left too (I’ve developed many good relationships with left-of-center folks since I left MAGA, and a great deal of my readers/listeners are liberals). “Understand” doesn’t necessarily mean “agree with.” It just means I’ve listened to both sides and can understand why they feel the way they do. Finding consensus on any issue has to start there.
I’m also trying to lead in my own unique way. I know I’m loud. I know I’m brusque at times. But I am honest to a fault. What you see is what you get. And again, besides me and Kinzinger, who else from the old Never Trump coalition of lawmakers is out there every day? And besides me, Jolly, and Duncan, who else from the old Never Trump coalition of lawmakers took the leap and became a Democrat? A Tea Party Republican, no less? How many of them are now identifying as a Democrat, campaigning for Democrats, supporting Democrats, telling Democrats to get their shit together to save this democracy? If there are others, please tell me. I’ll happily invite them on my show.
This election is over. Savor the wins now, but don’t get too comfortable. It’s just about time to start thinking about the midterms and 2028. I know I am. No, I’m not saying I’m running for President, not yet, but I do intend to use this space to think through and share what I would stand for if I were running. Let me know [ mailto:[email protected]?subject=Joe, please write about this issue! ] if there’s a particular issue you want me to address. I look forward to hearing from you.
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