The Patriot Post® · Lincoln Project: Destroy Conservatism to 'Save' It
When it comes to President Donald Trump, it’s not hard to see why some conservatives are still hesitant to give him their full backing. His Twitter outbursts are sometimes odd and unpresidential, and his colorful personal life hasn’t exactly reflected the sterling character of presidents past. His leadership style, particularly during the pandemic, has not always been reassuring.
Except for that last item, this was debated and discussed ad nauseam both during and after the 2016 election. What has changed since the 2016 election is that President Trump now has a track record — a track record of promises made and promises kept that has been, by any objective standard, a good one.
Just on the basis of judicial nominations, President Trump has been a huge success. Prior to the pandemic lockdowns, Trump had also turned the economy around. In addition, he was making progress on a number of other issues — and fulfilling agenda items that had long been given lip service by establishment types. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem? Done — after two-plus decades of inaction. Securing the border? In the face of nonstop Democrat obstructionism, Trump’s been busy building or refurbishing barriers.
Trump’s track record and the Democrats’ lurch to the far left have caused a number of prominent anti-Trump conservatives like Glenn Beck, Ben Shapiro, and Erick Erickson to ditch their initial “Never Trump” stance. They still criticize him when appropriate, but they’re no longer inclined to concede victory to a Democrat Party with a track record of abusing power.
Unfortunately, some Never Trumpers are now seeking to destroy conservatism in the name of saving it. The Lincoln Project, formed by various anti-Trump “Republicans” and “conservatives” like George Conway, John Weaver, Rick Wilson, and Tom Nichols, has established a clear objective: Beat Trump and Republican senators. Byron York noted that The Lincoln Project’s Steve Schmidt wants to defeat every GOP senator who voted for acquittal in the president’s phony impeachment trial earlier this year. For those keeping score, that would be every Republican senator except the kowtowing Mitt Romney.
With Joe Biden promising a hard-left agenda and the usual pattern of progressive abuses, what The Lincoln Project wants is nothing more than the destruction of “Trumpism.” But how does it define Trumpism? Does it mean every Republican who boldly stands up to the Left, like Senators Tom Cotton (AR) and Josh Hawley (MO)?
Keep in mind, many of these Never Trumpers are the establishment types who continually rolled over in the face of serial abuses and slanderous attacks during Barack Obama’s two terms. Others were simply ineffective at advancing policies or winning elections. Trump exposed both of these groups during his successful 2016 campaign.
Instead of reflecting on how their failures drove grassroots Patriots to turn to Trump, they are now determined to punish conservatives for heresy. By expanding their scope to include senators, they are openly trying to undermine any semblance of a check on the Left. The Lincoln Project’s Democrat funding talks.
Perhaps Never Trumpers think that after they burn down the Trump movement, they’ll be invited back to resume what they view as their rightful positions within the GOP. But that’s not going to happen. Their actions are widely seen as treacherous, especially as Democrats embrace abortion on demand, assaults on the Second Amendment, attacks on religious liberty, and massive government spending and expansion.
The Lincoln Project isn’t convincing Trump supporters to rethink their position; it’s simply causing people to rightly question the conservative credentials of those involved.