During Trump’s presidency, the Republican Party has overseen a series of unconscionable acts. The administration caged migrant children and separated them from their families. Over 600 children have still not been reunited with their loved ones.
Trump attempted to ban Muslims from entering the country. The president ignored and then denied the deadly nature of the coronavirus. Nearly 400,000 Americans have died from the disease, thousands of which could have been prevented by simple measures.
During his presidency, Trump was racist, sexist, vulgar, corrupt and heartless.
Trump’s presidency has now culminated in a brazen attempt to undermine democracy in the United States. He lied about election fraud, pressured state officials to overturn election results and threatened to use military force to rerun the election in states he lost. As a finale, Trump ignited a crazed crowd of supporters that then stormed the U.S. Capitol with the intent to harm lawmakers.
Although the riot brought some Republican politicians to their senses, the vast majority supported and enabled Trump every step of the way — including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who campaigned for Trump and stated that it was “by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” that Trump was our nation’s president.
As a Republican, the past four years have startled me. This is the party that stared down the Soviet Union and waged wars to advance democracy and individual freedom. While working for the Bush administration, I helped schedule trips around the world in which Republican officials held events and gave speeches to promote democracy. That same party is now responsible for the most significant threat to our country’s freedom in our lifetime.
Where does the Republican Party go from here?
If there is any glimmer of hope for the party, it resides in Utah. The most reasonable Republican voices during this fiasco have Utah ties.
Sen. Mitt Romney has repeatedly expressed dismay at the actions of the president and his allies. Gov. Spencer Cox publicly refuted Trump’s claims of voter fraud. Former Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt publicly urged the president to allow Joe Biden’s transition team to do their work. Even Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, an outspoken critic of the president, worked for Leavitt at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Bush administration.
Utah also represents the best case for traditional Republican values: small government, fiscal responsibility, religious freedom and free-market economics. Businesses in Utah are not overly regulated, and citizens are not overly taxed. The government spends responsibly, and local politicians are known for being civil. Utah accepts refugees, no matter their religion, and a significant portion of the welfare system is run by a private organization.
The result is a thriving economy and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. A person born to a poor family has a better chance of improving their financial position in Utah than anywhere else in the nation. Not California. Not New York. Not Texas. The upward mobility rates in Utah are on par with the highest in the world.
In the age of Trump, Utah Republicans find themselves as the last stewards of Republican orthodoxy. Ronald Reagan referred to America as a shining city on a hill, with free people, free businesses and free elections. During the last four years, Trump and the Republican Party have betrayed that vision. In many respects, Utah has kept it alive.
The next several years present a crucial crossroads for the state and party. Will Utah re-elect Trump’s allies, like Mike Lee, Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens? Or will the state continue to trend toward more principled republicans like Mitt Romney, Spencer Cox and Mike Leavitt? The fate of the party, our state, and our nation hangs in the balance.
Kimball Dean Parker
Kimball Dean Parker is the founder and CEO of SixFifty, the technology arm of the law firm Wilson Sonsini. Kimball is also the founder and director of LawX, the legal design lab at Brigham Young University Law School.