This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Donald Trump is not the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States. Yet.
In a matter of weeks, he could be. It may happen before Utah hosts a presidential debate on March 21, and caucus the next day.
Election 2016 has been unprecedented in over-the-top rhetoric replete with religious, ethnic and gender bigotry — a campaign season where bullying, incivility and hate-mongering have been interpreted wrongly as straight talk. The possibility of those qualities being central traits of the Republican candidate becomes more real each day.
On Thursday, 2012 Republican presidential candidate and Utah favorite son Mitt Romney called Trump out, saying he's a "phony and a fraud" who is "playing the American public for suckers."
In a speech at the University of Utah, Romney attacked Trump's business record and foreign policy proposals, calling the latter dangerous and reckless. In so doing, he joined other Republican voices such as former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham in denouncing the GOP frontrunner.
While the inclination to stay above this calamity is tempting, even understandable, it isn't right. Yet, unlike Romney, that's what Utah's top GOP elected officials have done so far — watch the car crash from the sidewalk instead of warning those in harm's way.
There have been exceptions, notably Rep. Jason Chaffetz's meeting with Utah Muslims, calling Trump's immigration ban "intolerance that should not stand."
For the most part, Utah's GOP elected leaders have been content with silence, or worse, rationalizations. Sen. Orrin Hatch attributed Trump's baffling waffle on Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke to political inexperience. Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee have used the contentious campaign as reason to not consider an Obama nominee to the Supreme Court. Rep. Rob Bishop has said the thing he doesn't like about Trump is that he reminds him of President Obama and worries that his leadership style is too unilateral.
When Trump goes on the offensive, that word becomes more adjective than noun. He refers to those illegally crossing our border with Mexico as rapists and murderers. He singles out Muslims for discrimination. He picks a fight with a woman news anchor, referring to her menstrual cycle. He calls out his opponents as lightweights and liars. In a particularly low moment, he mocked a man's physical disability. Romney made mention of all these sad episodes.
It is time for Utah's GOP leaders also to weigh in on Trump as their party's standard-bearer. Are Donald Trump's values, is the Trump style, reflective of Republicans in one of the most red of red states?
To remain silent is, at best, to spinelessly acquiesce. At worst, to tacitly affirm.
So what say you, Sens. Hatch and Lee, Reps. Chaffetz, Bishop, Love and Stewart and Gov. Herbert? Does Donald Trump reflect the ethics, principles and standards of you and your constituents? Like Trump — and Mitt Romney — speak plainly and directly, please.