If there is one very small silver lining to the rise of Donald Trump, it’s been clarifying in terms of sorting out the principled conservatives who are standing up in the face of this authoritarian buffoon, from the opportunists who are curring favor with him.
On the positive side, it’s worth taking a quick moment to cheer on Sen. Ben Sasse, the freshman from Nebraska who has quickly emerged as the moral compass of the GOP for his real talk about Trump.
For months Sasse — with a mix of mockery and solemness — has methodically pointed out how Trump is unfit for the presidency and is an affront to conservatism. He was the first senator to declare he would vote third party if Trump were the nominee. And this morning, he reiterated his stance in no uncertain terms.
“I hope it happens that over the next 30 or 60 days that the Republican Party again becomes the party of Abraham Lincoln, limited government, and great human potential. I want to celebrate what’s good about America in the Republican Party,” Sasse said. “But if the Republican Party becomes the party of David Duke and Donald Trump, I’m out, and I think lots and lots and lots of people are out. So ultimately, there will be more choices than these two if Trump is the nominee.”
Well said. Will other elected Republicans join him?
