“Conservatives, who are still members of the Never Trump crowd have berated Trump since his election. Shortly after being sworn in, President Trump issued some executive orders. He is freezing regulations. He issued an executive order directing the administration to unwind regulations created by Obamacare to help businesses and individuals. The White House website now touts the new administration’s support for law enforcement as well as support for the Second Amendment. What here isn’t good enough?”
As Judson Phillips sees it, “Conservatives have two choice (sic) here. We can work with the administration, when it is right, and we can advance a conservative agenda. Or, we can simply go sit in the corner, like spoiled, petulant children and accomplish nothing…I vote for working with President Trump and his administration when they are right.”
Apparently one of those “spoiled, petulant” children, Rev. Larry Wallenmeyer, a TPN blogger, attacked Trump on January 21 from a Christian Nationalist standpoint:
“I am a Constitutional-Conservative, i.e. meaning Principled Conservatism defined and restricted by America’s Founding Documents as written by America’s Founding Fathers…BUT ABOVE THAT I AM A BIBLICAL-CHRISTIAN, i.e. meaning The Bible Is my sole authority on ALL things spiritual, doctrinal, cultural, moral, philosophical and political. I can NOT and will NOT budge from these common, foundational precepts and principles, to compromise is a sin as a Christian, and treason as a Patriot [Capitals in original].”
Posting material on the TPN website assailing Trump for committing adultery and generally being immoral, Wallenmeyer writes “We should NOT support anyone, regardless of party who is as immoral, corrupt, dishonest, vile, arrogant, proud, vulgar, and leans as hard left as DT does.”
Conversely, in a January 20 statement, Tea Party Patriots’ President and co-founder Jenny Beth Martin unequivocally praised the reality TV President:
“Tea Party Patriots and our network of supporters across the nation congratulate President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States…Americans elected President Trump because they sincerely believe he is the right leader to ‘Make America Great Again’ and he will do this by putting the interests of our country and its citizens first. We look forward to the opportunity to work with President Trump and the Republican majorities in Congress to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a new system that prioritizes freedom over government control, secure our borders, reduce the size and scope of government while balancing our budget, and enacting an ‘America First’ trade policy.”
Martin’s statement reverses her opinion held during the Republican primary. Recall that Martin denounced Trump in no uncertain terms at the April 2016 Conservative Political Action Committee Conference:
“Donald Trump loves himself first, last and everywhere in between. He loves himself more than our country, he loves himself more than the constitution. He doesn’t love you, me, and he doesn’t love the tea party. Donald Trump has no business thinking he’s tea party and every tea party person who truly loves the constitution should take that into account when you’re casting your vote.”[1]
We here at IREHR tend to agree more with Martin’s pre-election assessment.
NOTES
[1] Citied in Galloway, Jim and Tamar Hallerman. Tea partyer Jenny Beth Martin takes on Donald Trump at CPAC. AJC.com. April 9, 2016. http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/03/04/tea-partyer-jenny-beth-martin-takes-on-donald-trump-at-cpac/.
