I Will Never Vote for Donald Trump

#AgainstTrump, #NeverTrump

There’s a few times in history where we are all remember where we were, and then later judged by where we we stood.

We talk about where we’re you when JFK was shot, or when you heard about Pearl Harbor on the radio, or — for my generation — where were you when the airplanes crashed into the twin towers on 9/11.

But it also matters what you think before those things happen. There was a number of lonely voices in the CIA, congress, and the White House who spent years trying to stop bin Laden. Throughout the 1930s, the best of a generation fought against the rise of fascism.

And sometimes, all of those people are actually successful. Communism did not take over Western Europe, and there wasn’t a nuclear war in the Cold War- but that was due to the work of many over the spans of decades. In every case, it would have been easier to take the stand earlier.

So- all of that is to say that today, we may face another inflection point soon. Donald Trump shows consistent leads in the polls, and is a growing favorite to receive the nomination for the Republican party. I’ve been a Republican for years, and have actively worked on Capitol Hill for Republican Members of Congress, because I believe that it is the party that best supports an optimistic, responsible, open view of the American future.

Donald Trump does not represent that party. He is completely unqualified for the job, has expressed no real interest in policymaking, has attacked those who do, and threatens he ability of the Republican party to even stand as a credible opposition party.

I do think he is unlikely to be elected in November, but in our system, we will only get two real choices. And, if something happens to one of them, or something unexpected happens, we could end up with a disaster. Or, even worse, Trump and his scary followers may actually - over the course of seven more months of wall-to-wall media coverage- convince enough voters that some of his ideas — protectionism, authoritarianism, nativism, and even racism — are worth voting for. Even if not, he will discredit our democracy and will further coarsen our culture.

So, on Tuesday in the Virginia primary, I’m going to vote #AgainstTrump. I would encourage everyone else to do so. I will never vote for Trump. In 20 years, when you’re asked about the election of 2016, will you be able to say you stood #AgainstTrump?