The same process that befell the Republican Party in the state of California is being demonstrated on a macro-level across the United States. Similarly to how California was shifted politically because of social disagreements coming into the 1990s, this country is in the process of falling out of the conservative brand because of the moral disparity of President Donald Trump and a number of Right Wing political figures.

The issue lies wherein Trump is more than happy to pander to the Alt-Right; he did it during his campaign and he continues to pander to them because they support him and believe in him. The Alt-Right claim him as an ally. David Duke praised him. At this point, when a former KKK leader is claiming he has the support of a nation’s executive, most presidents would stand up in front of the country and at the very least dismiss this. So the fact that Trump is giving any inkling of credibility to the Alt-Right is absolutely repugnant and the Republican Party needs to put space between their views and those of the president who currently represents them.

To see nothing but such moral emptiness depicted on the conservative side of the political aisle is disheartening to say the least. What leaders of the Grand Old Party (GOP) need to do is not necessarily alienate themselves from the President of the United States, but rather they need to stand up and endorse the individual liberty, tolerance, respect, individual value and civility that they see underrepresented by the president.

Many people are placing all Republicans on the same palette with only four colors: ignorance, bigotry, racism and stupidity. But here’s the thing: we as Americans can’t be picking sides when there’s a legitimate chauvinist threat. There can’t be, as Trump put it, “many sides.” 

We’re spiraling away from each other as a nation. The American people expect the president to be the one to recognize this and remind us of what we’re working towards and what we need to do to get there. They expect him to stand up and dismiss hate altogether, without favoring a side because they voted for him. Instead, the president is picking sides and using clumsy, confused and scripted rhetoric. Because of it we’re faced with a conflict that’s different from what we’re used to fighting: a war of words. It can’t be fought with guns or bombs, nor is it something that can be physically destroyed. This is a problem that’s much harder to fight: one of values, courage and truth.  

Trump is the master of stirring up the pot and adding fuel to the fire. But what we as Americans have to do is not let the President of the United States, or any hate group, exploit our divisions. At this point it’s been well established that Trump is not going to unite all of us in a common goal, so we can’t just keep talking about that. If we all understand that, why can’t we work together? A plane needs both wings to fly: the left wing and the right wing…

Right now, we’re spinning out of control.