Somehow, Sen. Risch is stumped over opposition to an unpopular President Trump

In a recent Statesman article summarizing Sen. Risch’s interview with Fox News, the senator was stumped on how Americans could oppose President Trump.

Risch stated, “I have never seen the hate and vitriol against an individual that there is against this president.” Risch’s bafflement is baffling in itself.

Dear reader, we must assist Senator Risch,. He appears to have been living in a cave during the 2016 campaign and the last two years of the Trump presidency. His sycophancy and enabling can certainly contribute to delusional or wishful thinking.

Risch cannot be forgiven for being conveniently oblivious to America’s demonstrated disdain for this president. Trump’s approval ratings have consistently hovered in the 40 percent range, with intense disapproval on the other side.

Did Risch sleepwalk through the 2018 midterm elections? The outcome was a clear rebuke of Trump’s policies and personal demeanor. Voters across America voted enthusiastically to turn back the Trump train.

I want to share with Risch one Idahoan’s personal reasons for strongly opposing President Trump.

Number one, President Trump is a serial liar. And beyond his mendacity is his use of falsehoods to instill fear and victimhood among Americans. This dishonesty is immoral. The Washington Post found President Trump making 8,459 false claims since taking the sacred oath of office. If Risch wants to dispute that number, we must ask: “What is your number of Trump deceptions, Senator Risch?” We need to know Risch’s pain level for dishonesty. How many lies does he think can be absorbed by our children and citizenry before we cut into the muscle of our democracy? Trump’s anti-intellectualism feeds his dangerous authoritarian tendencies

Number two, President Trump never apologized to us and President Obama for his clearly racist and false claims that President Obama was not born in the United States. At the core, this false charge was cowardly, callous and contrived.

Number three, President Trump lacks humility. He takes credit for accomplishments not his. This is not the temperament needed for true leadership. His use of the personal pronoun “I” is indicative of a lack of recognition of teamwork and collective strength. It shows a personal weakness unattractive in leaders.

Number four, President Trump is a cheap-shot artist. He has vilified heroes, demeaned women, slighted allies, maligned public servants, hectored judges and minimized personal transgressions.

Number five, President Trump has eschewed ethical norms and dismissed historical transparency. He has not legally divorced himself from his business interests and refuses to release his tax returns.

Number six, President Trump has created a leadership structure that puts emphasis on personal loyalty, family ties, plutocratic relationships and political cronyism. He has hallowed out our government by not filling critical positions, while naming ethically challenged individuals to key positions of trust.

Number seven, President Trump is lazy. His delusional belief in his own infallibility, while avoiding fact-based arguments, erodes our faith in our government’s ability to solve domestic and international problems.

These are some of my issues with President Trump, and I know that many Idahoans share my views and can expand on this list. Senator Risch may live in such a bubble that he simply doesn’t grasp the sentiments of his constituents.

Risch is up for re-election in 2020. Like others in his caucus, he will likely seek the endorsement of President Trump. This creates a moral and constitutional dilemma for Risch. He must decide whether he seeks the truth and believes in his oversight role as a member of Congress. If he cannot understand why an Idahoan would oppose President Trump, then he seems hell-bent to violate his sacred oath and moral code. So sad.

This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 9:09 PM.