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I’m a Republican, and I have an obligation to my country – as you have – to criticize leaders when they earn it.
That doesn’t make me a Republican in Name Only – a so-called RINO. Rather, it makes me a conservative who still believes in something bigger than any one man.
The Republican Party is supposed to stand for limited government, the rule of law, and constitutional restraint. Those principles existed long before Donald Trump, and, God willing, they’ll matter long after he’s gone.
When a leader pushes against those things, staying quiet isn’t loyalty, it’s surrender and cowardice.
Yes, Trump delivered a handful of real wins – depending on your position – tax cuts for the super rich, deregulation for big business, another war in the Middle East, and high prices on everything from gasoline to food. If I had trouble swallowing to support those initiatives, I was not alone. Supporting any promised good doesn’t require defending the bad.
For example, pressuring the Justice Department, attacking election workers, and refusing to accept verified election results aren’t small missteps. They’re direct challenges to the guardrails that keep power in check.
Real Republican conservatism traditionally values institutions over strongmen. It believes character matters and that no politician is above the law. The moment we trade those beliefs for tribal loyalty, we stop being Republican conservatives and start being something closer to a personality cult.
Calling out your own side when it’s wrong isn’t betrayal. It’s how a healthy party stays honest. The founders built checks and balances, not because they were weak, but because they feared concentrated power. If we can’t speak plainly inside our own party, we’ve already abandoned the tradition we claim to defend.
Being a Republican means putting the Constitution over any president. That’s not disloyalty. That’s the bare minimum of what a Republican should be.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, former Shippensburg University Trustee, awarded numerous patents, as well as Founder and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software for automated sourcing and managing of mail marketing, swag, packaging, and all things print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill@eLynxx.com
