The Republican Party appears to be shifting toward autocracy. We should safeguard our government by preventing the party from being manipulated by elite groups or cults. Such influences erode the principles upon which the party was built, particularly inclusiveness and openness. Derailing from the rules of the game can herald ominous consequences domestically and internationally.
When then-Texas Governor George W. Bush announced his decision to run for the presidency in June of 1999, I wrote a letter to the Republican Party headquarters. As a first-time voter, I offered suggestions to help the party shed its image of primarily catering to the rich and famous. My hope was and still is that the party will emerge as one that is more inclusive, with open doors for ordinary voters regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or social and economic status.
Additionally, I suggested that there are many non-whites, non-Christians who share Republican values such as self-reliance, individual rights and family values. The party should reach out to them.
I received a gracious invitation from the Republican Party’s leaders to serve as one of California’s delegates to the Republican convention in Philadelphia.
Nearly 25 years later, I see the Republican Party distancing itself from its own core principles and instead drifting toward blind loyalty to an individual, rather than being a guardian of the party’s principles and democratic culture.
Many others believe that is what is happening now. Bill Schneider, an emeritus professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, writes that Republican leaders are in thrall to Donald Trump. The party is now in the process of carrying out purges of heretics who do not worship Trump or accept all the tenets of MAGA. Conformity is enforced by social media, a relatively new institution with the power to marshal populist energy against critics and opponents.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University, says the GOP was already going away from a democratic political culture, but Donald Trump normalized extremism and lawlessness. So, in my estimation, the GOP has over these years truly become an authoritarian, far-right party. The other big story is that his agenda and methods are being continued at the state level. Trump’s sway over the GOP has transformed the party’s political culture.
“He’s changed the party to an authoritarian party culture, So not only do you go after external enemies, but you go after internal enemies. You’re not allowed to have any dissent.”
This might appear to be an extreme view, but neither ignoring the warning nor criticizing the party’s policy should be seen as being against the party.
The Economist Magazine writes that since he left the White House, shortly after the January 6th attempted insurrection at the Capitol, Trump has been plotting a comeback. He managed to keep a tight leash on the party throughout the midterm elections, meddling in primaries to pick candidates who most fervently endorsed the lie that Democrats had stolen the presidential election.
Having restored himself to the helm of the party, the former president is preparing to crow after November 8th when Republicans expect to sweep back to power.
As a member of the party, I believe I should have the right to question the blind faith and loyalty to Trump within the Republican ranks. I have valid reasons to question some of Trump’s current claims and his past behavior.
Trump claims that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours and curb Chicago crime in a few days, which the Chicago Sun-Times called bogus: “Trump, during his time as president, never delivered on his claim that Chicago crime could be solved in a few days.”
Trump’s 24-hour plan for Ukraine is straightforward: surround Ukraine and hand it over to Putin. His relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un hasn’t prevented further missile launches.
The Republican Party’s image is increasingly tied to culture wars, as well as positions that are seen as anti-environment, anti-immigration and anti-abortion, as well as reneging on promises made by past presidents.
President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, and the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement on the environment in 2017. Most recently, the Republicans in the House stood in staunch opposition of a bill for financial aid to Ukraine for many months. These actions are not only hindering efforts to fend off Russian aggression, but also tacitly condoning Putin’s unjust war against a sovereign nation that wants to join the community of free world.
Trump is eroding democratic rules, sliding the GOP toward an autocratic system that divides America across race and leads to economic inequality and civil strife. A scholar who studies violent conflict, Thomas Homer-Dixon, recently wrote, “By 2025, American democracy could collapse, causing extreme domestic political instability, including widespread civil violence. By 2030, if not sooner, the country could be governed by a right-wing dictatorship.”
I am not quite that pessimistic, but warnings should be heeded, and dissent should not be stifled. The party should be a guardian of its principles, standing firm in upholding those values both at home and abroad. To maintain and pursue these objectives, the party must engage in rigorous self-examination.
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If history teaches us anything, it’s that nations that unwittingly fall under the sway of cult-like movements often face severe consequences. Italy and Germany stand as prominent examples. Mussolini rose to power in Italy, and Hitler did the same in Germany, each establishing themselves as dictators. We all know the tragic outcomes that befell them.
What I wrote to the Republican party 25 years ago still holds true today. The party needs self-examination to prevent drifting away from democracy.
Constructive criticism of the party is not necessarily anti-Republican. It’s part of self-examination and moving forward, adhering to principles that truly do make America great, not just relying on an elite group or on one individual.
The GOP should begin exploring alternatives to Trump. Without a change, we’re venturing into uncharted territory.
Lee Drutman, a political scientist at the New America think tank, told The New York Times, “I have a hard time seeing how we have a peaceful 2024 election after everything that’s happened now. I don’t see the rhetoric turning down. I don’t see the conflicts going away. … It’s hard to see how it gets better before it gets worse.”
Wahab Raofi is a graduate of Kabul Law School and worked at various levels for the Ministry of Justice in his native Afghanistan. He immigrated to the United States and has a home in Orange County, California, and for more than a decade he worked with the NATO/International Security Assistance Force as an interpreter in Afghanistan.
