Olivia Hille headshot
We have witnessed in real time very republic-altering events in the past year, and arguably the last four years. While many Republicans think they were responsible for major growth in this country, in reality, much of what has happened is not as revolutionary or as extraordinary as they think. In fact, it looks as if Republicans have made their graves and are ready to lie in them too.
Mostly, the hard-line support for Trump has absolutely fractured the Republican Party as of late. However disappointing it is that many did not speak out against the horrendously prejudiced and awful legislation the Trump administration pushed, it is only now that several legislators have decided that it’s appropriate to speak out.
From a moral standpoint, the fact that those who speak out against extremism do so despite knowing they risk being isolated and losing their party support should be considered a good thing. It seems painfully obvious to anyone who can look objectively at the situation that Trump ideology very much mirrors the viewpoints of the Republican Party, whether representatives say it or not. For those speaking out against Trump and the GOP, it creates a social cleavage within party lines from those who hold steadfast to their support for the former president.
From Feb. 25-28, we watched several conservative legislators speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), many of whom reaffirmed their loyalties to the GOP because of their allegiance to Trump. Several points included legislators reaffirming they did not certify the election results — which earned them a standing ovation — shaming other Republican constituents for voting to impeach, talks about supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election and, most ironically of all, several legislators spoke at CPAC after saying they would not be present in Congress “due to the ongoing public health emergency.”
Being a student during these times has certainly been a roller coaster. Many students have come to the conclusion that they would rather ignore Trumpism. Others fear his exit from the political area because his political pull is still deeply rooted. However, to ignore Trumpism or mourn his leave is both problematic and unproductive. As students, we are built to absorb information and creatively articulate improved and educated ideas. If we stick to our guns, we can unify and diversify ideologies without infringing on human rights.
It is continuously disturbing how passionate some of our representatives are about Trump. Now that the ever-changing Republican Party has been recently focused on supporting Trump and his ideologies, it makes it clear the GOP is fragmenting and will continue to do so until Trump is out of the picture. However, this may mean Democrats are in for a good several election seasons.
With a fragmenting Republican Party, more progressive candidates have a better chance at winning elections. Even if the Republican Party recognized this, can there really be any change until Trump lets go of his alarmingly strong hold on the GOP and its supporters? Probably not. Since the Republican Party seems very set on revolving around individuals, the break from Trump’s toxic support won’t come until the majority of his supporters find fault in his actions.
While the Democratic Party itself is also somewhat fragmented, it is not on the basis of support for one person. It’s based on moral ideology: liberal versus leftist. However, leftists will join liberals to vote against growing fascism and to aid in the slow process of prosperity for everyday citizens by supporting the most logical and sensible candidate, something we saw during last year’s election.
For us young and intuitive voters who live in an ever-growing bubble of liberalism, it’s hard to see what we can do for the growing fragmentation of our democracy. If you’re looking for a nonpartisan group to get involved with and want to be a more active part of our community, Democracy Matters looks to strengthen our democracy through student involvement. Other groups that some may be interested in are the College Democrats and College Republicans.
If unity is to be our goal, it is imperative that those who represent us learn to stand up for their supporters. It’s damning to shame one party for unifying when another cannot justify the last five years of deliberate polarization inflicted by the Republican Party. Conservative students, especially, have an obligation to speak out against the Trump supporters if it is indeed not what their party stands for, or it will be what it is remembered for and left in the past.