Throughout this election we’ve seen both candidates do things we don’t like. We’ve heard all about Secretary Clinton’s faults – her email server, Bengazi, her husband, just to name a few, but nothing has compared to what Donald J. Trump has done.
From almost the inception of his campaign Donald Trump has elicited hatred and bigotry. He has referred to Mexican immigrants as “criminals and rapists,” and accused an American Federal Judge of being unfit to judge his case based on his ancestry. He has proposed a ban on an entire religion, suggesting a registration of the religion, an act eerily similar to what our government did in the 1940s with Japanese internment camps. He has spewed despicable and revolting comments about women, and then denied any wrongdoing. Not once in this entire election has he taken responsibility for his words and actions.
Perhaps more horrifying than all of the above, if you can imagine, was his refusal in Wednesday night’s debate to accept the outcome of the election. He stood on the world stage Wednesday night and let everyone know that he has no faith in our democracy. He told the world that a country founded on freedom and democracy is failing. In a way, he committed treason. In saying that the election is “rigged,” he is putting a dent in the trust in American democracy. He has suggested to his followers that they should not accept our President, unless it is him, which leaves them few options should Hillary Clinton be elected.
He wants to be the leader of the free world, of one of the largest democracies in the world, but he has no faith in that democracy. What he said was un-patriotic. What he said was un-American. What must the world think of us now?
Do we want a president who does not believe in our country? Do we want a president who claims to interpret everything our Founding Fathers said to the T, then turn around and tarnish everything they fought for? Despite what some of his more avid and dedicated supports say, this shouldn’t be downplayed. This isn’t just another stupid thing he said. Not once in modern political history has a candidate refused to accept the outcome of the election. Despite some claims otherwise, Al Gore did accept the outcome in 2000. After a mandatory recount that showed his loss, he told the country that moving forward and coming together was the best path for the country. He united the country for the best of the country. He did not suggest everything was “rigged.” He did not give his supports reason to doubt our democracy. He did not create cause for violence.
Because in a way, that is what Donald Trump did Wednesday night. He knows and the world knows that he has created a following of like-minded individuals who listen to his every word. To some of his more devoted followers, his words at the debate left an opening for interpretation. Does he want them to riot if he is not chosen the winner? Because that is what he’ll get if he keeps on this path. He will have people behind him ready to fight for their way, no matter what democracy dictates.
None of what he insinuated with his refusal to answer is the American way. Our democracy is not a game that you can choose to play or not play. You don’t get to “wait and see” if you like the outcome. That is not how our country works. Our democracy was built on fair elections and peaceful transfer of power. We Americans believe in our country and we believe in our democratic system, a system that has thrived for over 238 years. Donald Trump does not.