Joe Barbieri ’23

Alleged R.I.N.O. (Republican in Name Only)

Editor’s note: This article appears in our annual Eggplant Edition, comprised exclusively of satirical articles.

Recently, I was scrolling through Twitter and viewing the profile of many conservative politicians, candidates, and commentators. The majority of them have described themselves similarly, such as being pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-wall. 

However, they also have another thing in common: they describe themselves as being pro-Trump. 

After seeing such a description, I could not wrap my head around such a thing. In the past, I have written about the dangers of putting politicians on a pedestal. We have seen this with the Democrats and former President Barack Obama, but in the case of Trump, the majority of the Republican party has welcomed his demagoguery with open arms 

This worship of Donald Trump is not only concerning, but it evidently makes no sense. It seems that I have beaten a dead horse with this example but I think it rings true: Why would one worship, defend, and idolize a twice impeached president who has lost the popular vote twice? 

Even if you were to worship a former Republican president, why would you pick Donald Trump? Why not pick Abraham Lincoln? Dwight D. Eisenhower? Ronald Reagan?

It is time for the Republican party to accept the fact that Donald Trump has served his time in the Oval Office. And those who keep hoping that he will run again in 2024 are effectively dooming any shot for regaining the White House. 

As the 2020 election has shown, it was very obvious that the American people were tired of Trump and his policies. Going back to 2024, it is important to note that Trump will not change his ways. We thought that he would calm down when he became president, but he was even more outspoken, disrespectful, and abrasive. 

We do not live in a monarchy; we live in a republic. We should not worship our political leaders. Obviously, we can look up to them, learn from them, and respect them. However, treating them like a god implies that they deserve our worship. 

The President of the United States works for us. It’s time we remember that. It’s time we hold our Commander-in- chief responsible again. There’s a quote from one of my favorite movies, The American President, that aptly reflects this reality:  “I’m a citizen, this is my President. And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders, it’s our responsibility!”