Sorry, President Trump. You lost my vote.
Guest Commentary by Kiko Delgado
Yep, I was one of those crazed Trump supporters you talked about to your friend.
Back in 2020, I couldn’t get enough of Trump. I bought his merch; I followed his every word on Twitter; and fiercely defended him on Facebook even losing friends along the way. I tuned into every rally and believed the person on stage dancing to YMCA would win reelection in a landslide. Afterall, it’s easy to believe anything when it’s coming out of your own echo chamber.
Then came election night. As the votes rolled in, Trump’s victory was looking further out of reach. How could this be? I was told by Fox News and right-wing podcasters that Trump would win because of his large rallies. Later that evening Trump tapped into the emotions of his supporters by alluding to widespread voter fraud.
Once again, he poured gasoline and lit a match. I imagine our feeling of impending loss was how the other half of the country felt in 2016, when President Trump defeated Secretary Clinton. We were simply gutted.
But in your case, your candidate was brave enough to give a concession speech the next morning. While I applauded Clinton for conceding the election, any charitable feelings I had for her diminished when the democrats began questioning the legitimacy of the election, just like they did in 2000 and 2004.
Some could argue that Trump wasn’t able to fully govern because of the Russia hoax, which was partly true. But he also engaged in petty attacks on Twitter which drained any political capital that he had left. Nevertheless, to the Trump voter, he was robbed of his first-term and 2024 would be his revenge tour. Cue the music! YMCA 2.0 was returning along with new merch.
The Big Lie
It was easy to believe the “Big Lie” because when you live in Trumpland you are constantly told what you want to hear (I assume the same happens on the other side), which often conflicts with reality. Over the weeks that followed election night, I believed that Trump and Co. had the evidence needed to overturn the results of the election. “Trust the plan!” “It’s about to come out.” “We are almost ready.”
Then came Jan. 6. Trump held a rally as a last-ditch effort to stop the certification of the election. He also told his millions of followers that Vice President Mike Pence was somehow granted magical powers by our Founding Fathers and could reject the results on Jan. 6. Believing this, the Magadonians marched to the Capital and became everything we were supposed to be against. Afterall, Trump tweeted “Law and Order” during the 2020 riots, so one would assume we were a party that actually believed it.
Despite the mob and the attack, our institutions held strong and there was a transfer of power.
As a Christian, I was ready to break up with Trump. The chaos, the attacks, the lies all became too much. Everything we were taught in church contradicted the man I supported.
We were OK with excusing his behavior all in the name of having power over the left. All Trump had to do was hold up a random Bible and we would faint like Swifties at a concert.
Yeah, but his character?
Now, I know what you’re thinking.. Yes, I was well aware of all his character flaws in 2016 and 2020. Most of us supported Trump because of the conservative issues he ran on and were willing to overlook his personal transgressions. We were also tired of wars, low wages, and being ignored by both sides. Yes, I will now give you permission to laugh at me for thinking he was going to keep any of his campaign promises and become a leader we could all look up to.
My growing disdain for Trump continued to fester in 2022 when he started attacking other republican candidates before the midterms and refused to acknowledge any of his wrongdoings that led to the riots on Jan. 6.
His lack of repentance and moral clarity exposed another side of Trump that I refused to see. He is only loyal to himself and craved power for all the wrong reasons. Like most Republicans, I went into the 2022 midterms believing there was going to be a giant red Tsunami (shout out to Fox News). President Biden (YES HE WON) was unpopular, the economy was tanking, the Afghanistan withdrawal was a disaster, and he too was becoming increasingly divisive.
Despite Biden’s weaknesses, the voters spoke and handed the Republicans a slim and dysfunctional majority in The House and a bunch of governor and state legislature losses around the country. A word of advice to any future Republican candidates in Arizona and those of you who are running in purple suburbs: If you want to win, refrain from calling McCain Republicans losers and quit crying about the 2020 election.
The next circus shows up
A few weeks after our disastrous loss, our noble leader sensing discord in the ranks, decided to announce his reelection. I rolled my eyes and tuned in to see what version of the circus we were going to get. His speech was a snooze fest. He looked tired and offered nothing more than, “I am a victim, so please give me your money.” The party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan was reduced to a disgraced one-term president who sold trading cards of himself.
This year is going to be another consequential election. Our country needs a new generation of leaders to rise up and lead. Leaders who possess the character and fortitude to guide our nation.
Even though we are fiercely divided, our shared goal should always be to love thy neighbor as thyself. This does not mean we are always going to agree on every issue, but we can rise above these childish attacks and learn to respect one another again.
One of the best conversations I recently had was with a neighbor of mine who shared opposite views. We didn’t talk politics, instead we talked life, had a drink, and laughed. It reminded me of years past where we never really talked politics, but instead found ways to walk through life together. As for me, I will not be voting for President Trump should he become the nominee. His continued lies, lack of repentance and zero moral clarity are a dealbreaker for me.
Free advice to my friends on the other side, sometimes when you cry wolf too many times, one actually shows up. My hope is that whomever we elect, they would lead us out of the doldrums and inspire us to form a more perfect union.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
