Brunswick Beacon, 08.24.23
Donald Trump’s indictment in Georgia is the latest consequence for a man who simply won’t accept the will of the American people. Trump knows that he had lost but perpetuates The Big Lie that the 2020 election had been “stolen” from him, boasting that he has “irrefutable” evidence that the election was “rigged.”
The 2020 presidential election results were clear: Joe Biden is our duly elected president having received 81 million votes to Trump’s 74 million. The popular vote was 51.3% for Biden, 46.9% for Trump. The Electoral College vote was 306 for Biden; 232 for Trump. Case closed.
As children, we learned to accept losses. Whatever we lost – a soccer game, the lead in the school play, a contest to win a cool prize – we accepted the outcome with good sportsmanship. We didn’t destroy the ball field, burn down the school, or vandalize the home of the winner.
Young Donald Trump never learned this lesson. As a child, his behavior was so egregious that his parents sent him to military school where he weaponized the worst aspects of his character, developing a reputation for bullying, violence, and a win-at-all-costs mentality. We shouldn’t be surprised that his answer to an electoral loss is to call for civil war to burn America to the ground.
Unfortunately, millions of Americans – including many MAGA Republicans in our government – still believe The Big Lie. They see our courageous prosecutors, judges, and grand jurors as the real problem as they seek to hold Donald Trump accountable for his appalling crimes.
Donald Trump will never accept responsibility for the divisiveness and violence he’s spawned, but it’s past time for our “leaders” to speak the truth. Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Let’s join him in making life better for all Americans.
Michael Rush
Leland