Two dozen House Republicans came to Texas on Wednesday to support Donald Trump. Greg Abbott, the state Republican governor, joined them in applauding Trump as he toured Texas, decried the U.S. government and repeated the lie about his illegal removal from office. Biden is ruining our country. It all began with a fake electoral vote, Trump declared, while the lawmakers watched in silence or approved. Biden accused the United Statesof phony elections and called it a sick nation. He also boasted that he had taken military funds against the will of Congress and defying the Constitution to fund his border wall.AdvertisementMany Americans believe Trump's disappearance on Facebook, Twitter and other mainstream media platforms has caused him to vanish. This impression is dangerous and false. Trump has increased his grip on the GOP and intensified his campaign to undermine American institutions. Trump's authoritarian movements pose a threat not only to President Joe Biden, but also to the larger alliance among democracies. Our country's fundamental political conflict is not between Democrats or Republicans. It is between those who believe in democracy and those who don't.AdvertisementAdvertisementBiden is aware of the seriousness of the threat. Biden understands the gravity of the threat. He has made a commitment to confront Russia and China since he was elected to office.AdvertisementOur country is under the threat of authoritarianism. Biden made it clear in his inaugural address that he was taking office days after a mob of rioters thought they could use violence against the people to end the work of democracy. Biden impliedly linked Putin's propaganda to Trumps attacks upon NATO and the American electoral process. Biden stated that Russian leaders want people believe our system is worse or more corrupt than theirs.AdvertisementTrump wants to spread the message of American corruption, and to destabilize America's government. Trump is working to spread the message of American corruption and to destabilize the U.S. government through rallies, interviews and emails to supporters. Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, was twice asked if Trump was responsible for the events that led up to Jan. 6. McCarthy declined to answer.AdvertisementTrump despises democracies and extols the power of autocrats. He also advocates a foreign policy that is based on profit and not human rights. Fox News interviewed Trump on June 16 and criticized Europe's allies. He claimed that Russia is worse than China. Trump also boasted that China was helping American farmers through trade agreements, thanks to Trumps close relationship with President Xi Jinping. Trump called on foreign governments to ban Facebook and Twitter in a written statement.Advertisement40 years ago, Republicans cheered as Ronald Reagan called America a shining, hilly city. They cheer now when Trump repeats Russian propaganda about American democracy being fake. Trump said, in a speech at the North Carolina Republican Convention, that Trump's Russian propaganda about American democracy is fake. They did a North Korean-style turnout. As Abbott nodded, Trump stated that the United States is becoming a banana republic, a third world country, because of our messianic elections.AdvertisementIt's tempting to dismiss the entire GOP when you see this display of madness, cynicism and insanity. This is a mistake. We need the support of Republicans who believe in a republic to defeat authoritarianism. Although it is a small group, it is real and was decisive last year in Arizona. Ten House Republicans voted in January to impeach Trump. Seven Senate Republicans voted in February to convict him. Rep. Liz Cheney (third-ranking House Republican) sacrificed her leadership position to defend democracy against Trump. Trump decries more Republican officeholders every week. Trump's list of Republican enemies includes four senators and three members of Congress, as well as two governors and state legislators from Michigan, Pennsylvania,, and Wisconsin. Trump attacked Reagan last Friday, mocking the fact that Reagan's endorsements were not the same as Trump's. Each one of these enemies can be part the alliance for democracy.AdvertisementAdvertisementSen. Mitt Romney is one of Trump's targets. He understands the stakes. Romney, a Republican from Utah, stated that Trump's lies regarding the election were being used to undermine support for democracy around the globe. He explained that the goal of the authoritarians was to discredit elections by pointing[ing] at the United States and saying: Look, they cant even hold an election there that isn't fraudulent.Romney is echoing the sentiments of many Democrats and Biden. He is standing by the president, not because they disagree on policybut because they share a common belief in democracy. This agreement may have seemed trivial a decade ago when Romney was the Republican presidential candidate. It's no longer trivial.
