One Anonymous Trump Supporter Showed the Lawless Left What Democracy Looks Like – National Review
Its an inevitable feature of left-wing protests everywhere. As they debaseour political discourse with their absurd outrage theater and riots du jour you can count on some of them yelling out This is what democracy looks like!
And so it was hardly surprising that at the Trump inauguration, in which more than 200 violent leftist rioters were arrested, several blocks of Washington D.C. were damaged, and Trump supporters were physically attacked, we heard the chant going up againthis time by protestors who were attempting to block citizens from attending the inauguration to celebrate another successful transfer of power from one president to the next.
A Trump supporter attempting to run the blockade shot back a perfect rejoinder. Pointing to the other side of the fence he was attempting to get to while protesters blocked his way shouting: This is what Democracy looks like! he said:This is what democracy looks like, but I cant get to it because of you!
It was the perfect rejoinder, and the perfect antidote to the incessant anti-Trump whining of our elites and their violent shock-troops whose behavior they consistently excuse and justify, granting it a context they would never grant if mobs of conservatives behaved identically. (Fortunately we dont) The left lost, and they lost this election at every levelstate, national, and local. And no amount of organized violence or immature street theater changes that reality one bit. Whether with Trump in D.C. or with Scott Walker in Wisconsin, the lefts conspicuouspublic rage is a paper tiger.
To riff off of the great Tom Wolfe, the dark night of fascism is always descending on Trump supporters, but somehow it only lands on Trump opponents. Despite the hysterical Nazi/fascist analogies conjured up byour media, the story of political violence in this campaign has been one in which it has been overwhelmingly directed at Trump supporters rather than by them. It is a fact that our media and political elites stubbornly refuse to acknowledge, and similar to Black Lives Mattersaccount of the incidence ofinter-racial violence, the media account of partisan political violenceone of right-wing perpetrators and left-wing victims, is precisely the opposite of the truth. Its yet another example of the left-wings fake news.
Heres the reality: No matter how the left feels about it, the election and inauguration of Donald Trump is exactly what democracy looks like. Universally despised by the elites, he managed to win the support of enough Americans to win the election. Hes the President of the United Statesand the left needs to deal with it, just as conservatives managed to grumble through the Obama inauguration (but without major protests, much less rioting or violence as even the New York Times acknowledged)
But beyond that, there is a lesson that Trumps election should teach us. Anyone who was at the GOP convention saw his numerous tributes to law and order. And anyone who watched him during the campaign saw that one of Trumps greatest strengths, the main thing that drew otherwise skeptical conservatives to his camp, was his fearlessness in confronting leftist thuggery and refusing to play political games according to the lefts rules.
Its been written by well-meaning conservatives here and elsewhere that the biggest challenge for conservatives in this administration is to resist the seductions of power, to make sure we dont avoid challenging the President just because he has an R after his name. I firmly but respectfully disagree.
Of course, when the President does something that we feel breaks fundamentally with our values and principles; we shouldnt hesitate to say so. But for conservatives, especially conservatives in the Washington-New York axis or other liberal enclaves, the bigger challenge is to fearlessly defend the President and his agenda even when he is unpopular. When we find ourselves criticizing the administration, we need to ask ourselves whether we are really speaking truth to power or just courting respectabilitydefending a sort of ethereal philosophical conservatism that has no contact with political reality. Its easy to look like a good conservative and join the coalition of the housebroken.But Trump won because, for whatever his other faults, this was the one thing he absolutely refused to do. And nobody need worryunlike with Obama, there will be an furiously active media, academia and NGO community that will be drawing attention to every one of Trumps mistakes, real or imagined. Conservatives will be just one voice in that chorus.
This is what democracy looks like: Two parties honestly contesting for and advocating their values and principles; Not one party advocating its principles while the other cowers in the corner afraid that they might be called a mean name. The first one hundred days of this administration are going to present incredible opportunities for conservatives if we are bold enough to take them. And, like the anonymous Trump supporter, we need to call out the left without apology if they resort to lawlessattempts to block our way.
Read the rest here:
One Anonymous Trump Supporter Showed the Lawless Left What Democracy Looks Like - National Review
- Protests are the last thing keeping Turkeys democracy alive - The Economist - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Ive never seen such clampdowns in Istanbul. Turkeys democracy is fighting for its life | Orhan Pamuk - The Guardian - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Democracy is more than rules and institutions, its a way of life - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Voters Need to Know What Redboxing Is and How It Undermines Democracy - Campaign Legal Center - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Trumps Latest Executive Order is a Shamand a Warning - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- How the Fight for American Democracy Can Start with Unions - Progressive.org - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- US swing toward autocracy doesnt have to be permanent but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Donald Trumps chilling effect on free speech and dissent is threatening US democracy - The Conversation - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes - Paul Krugman and Zachary D. Carter in Conversation - CUNY Graduate Center - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Hip-Hop Star Macklemore on New Film The Encampments & Why He Speaks Out Against Israels War on Gaza - Democracy Now! - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Why Elon Musk, GOP Are Trying to Buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Free Inquiry & Expression and the Future of Democracy Series Continues March 27 - Stetson University - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Arkansas AG rejects proposed ballot measure to amend states direct democracy process - Arkansas Advocate - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Our Voice: Threats to Democracy, From Oopsie Too late, to Ignoring Classified Communications - The Ark Valley Voice - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- For the sake of US democracy, its time for Chuck Schumer to step down | Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin - The Guardian - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- To Build a Better Democracy, Start by Rethinking Your Relationship to the Internet - Tech Policy Press - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Duluth Residents Share Concerns at a Town Hall Hosted by Practicing Democracy - FOX 21 Online - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- GOP Slammed Bidens Voting Order as Federal Overreach But Praised Trumps - Democracy Docket - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Democracy in Action group to host Hixson town hall for lawmakers Blackburn, Fleischmann and Hagerty - Chattanooga Times Free Press - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Pro-Beijing Chinese Influencers Kicked Out in Test for Small Democracy - Newsweek - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Comments - This Week in Democracy Week 10: Trump Brags About Institutions 'Bending' to His Will - Zeteo - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The frog of democracy is nearly boiled. We can still jump out of the pot - The Philadelphia Inquirer - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Fear and anger as 'battle for the soul of Romanian democracy' looms - BBC.com - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Erdogans crackdown: Turkey and the fight for democracy - European Council on Foreign Relations - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- ICYMI: Democracy Forward Challenges Trumps Executive Overreach and Attacks on Legal System - Democracy Forward - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Mourning Democracy, Professors Lambast Columbia Administrators for Submitting to Trump - The Chronicle of Higher Education - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- SCOTUS Hears Latest Conservative Assault on the Voting Rights Act - Democracy Docket - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Civics Education Is About More Than Elections Its the Foundation of Democracy - The 74 - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Avoiding your neighbor because of how they voted? Democracy needs you to talk to them instead - The Conversation Indonesia - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Chicago priests warn about growing Trump threats to immigrants and democracy - People's World - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump is abandoning democracy and freedom. That creates an opening for Europe and Britain | Jonathan Freedland - The Guardian - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Poll: 63% of public fears for Israeli democracy as government votes to fire Shin Bet head - The Times of Israel - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- In a true democracy Netanyahu has the right to remove the head of the Shin Bet - Ynetnews - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Purple reign: NCs history of split-ticket voting is democracy working - Carolinacoastonline - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Do You Want to Fight Back Against Elon Musks Attack on our Democracy? - Shepherd Express - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- 'This game is not over ... our democracy is worth fighting for' is Rep. Summer Lee's rallying cry at Hill District town hall - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- When Did We Decide That Democracy and Improving Peoples Lives Contradicted Each Other? - Esquire - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- An Unprecedented, Breathtaking Assault on American Democracy: LWV Responds to Trump Administrations First 60 Days - League of Women Voters - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Opinion | Dont count on the courts to save democracy - The Washington Post - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Video. We need to improve democracy, Lech Wasa says - Euronews - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- DOGEs USAID Takeover Likely Violated the Constitution, Judge Says - Democracy Docket - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Commentary: California sheriffs are becoming MAGA allies and threatening democracy - Stocktonia News - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- The End of US Democracy and the Implications for International Relations - E-International Relations - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Why Indonesias new military law is alarming pro-democracy activists and rights groups - The Associated Press - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Breaking Social Security: Trump & Musk Move Ahead with Plan to Cut Agency Staff & Services - Democracy Now! - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Chris Murphy: 'If We Continue to Engage in Business as Usual, This Democracy Could Be Gone' - Rolling Stone - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- House Of Lords Thrown Into 'Chaos' As Democracy Protesters Bring Debate To A Halt - Yahoo News UK - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Unchaining Venezuela: a struggle for democracy - The London School of Economics and Political Science - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Murkowski says Trump is testing the institutions of democracy - KTOO - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Democrats grapple with Trump, democracy and an argument that didnt work - The Hill - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps Cuts to Democracy Promotion Like the NED Already Hit Asian Organizations Hard - Council on Foreign Relations - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- A Slim Majority of Voters Think U.S. Democracy Is Currently Working Well - Data For Progress - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Ken Roth on Israels Starvation Strategy in Gaza & Righting Wrongs of Abusive Governments - Democracy Now! - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- African Democracy Is in Retreat. That's a Problem for America | Opinion - Newsweek - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Political science department hosts discussion on the state of U.S. democracy - The Collegian University of Richmond - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Join Light For Our Democracy - Marblehead Current - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Polish democracy hero Wasa says Trumps treatment of Zelenskyy filled him with horror - The Associated Press - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps War Against Democracy and the Rules-Based World Order - The Globalist - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Authoritarianism expert weighs in on Trump, Musk and the fate of U.S. democracy | Here & Now - WBUR News - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Letter: Do we have any way to save our besieged democracy? - Yakima Herald-Republic - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- The Freak Show: Our Democracy Is Being Dismantled Right Before Our Eyes - Aquarian Weekly - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Mayor Johnson heads to Washington to be grilled on immigration. GOP should focus on democracy instead. - Chicago Sun-Times - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Democracy that works - Anhui News - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trumps moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy - The Associated Press - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Passing SAVE Act Would Be Taking a Chainsaw to Democracy - Democracy Docket - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Just 6% of the worlds population live in a full democracy, new report claims - The Independent - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Bezos, Billionaires and Bibi: Democracy and the Free Press Are Shrinking - Haaretz - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- California to launch first-in-the-nation digital democracy effort to improve public engagement - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Defending American arts, culture, and democracy - Brookings Institution - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- European Reactions to the U.S. Retreat From Democracy - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Urge Your Members of Congress to Stand Up for Democracy - League of Women Voters - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- A Protest, a Phone Call, and the Power of Democracy - LGBTQ Victory Institute - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy - Week 6: Chaos in the Oval, Attacks on the Press, and What Did you Accomplish Last Week - Zeteo - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Defining Oligarchy: The Fusion of Wealth and Power in American Democracy - Baylor University - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Opinion | The Worst Existential Threat to American Democracy Is Already Here: Voter Suppression - Common Dreams - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Democracy in the crosshairs - IPS Journal - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Separation of powers and democracy under threat in US - MSR News Online - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Extended Interview: Mark Graham on Internet Archives Work Preserving the Web as Govt Sites Go Dark - Democracy Now! - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Wayback Machine Saves Thousands of Federal Webpages Amid Purge of Government Data Under Trump - Democracy Now! - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Human Rights and Democracy in the Quantum Age - Just Security - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]