Former GOP Lawmaker Says He’s Leaving The Party Because Of Trump
Another Republican just quit the party over Trump.
Former Republican Congressman Charles Djou announced Monday that he is leaving the Republican Party.
Djou — who served in Congress representing Hawaii — said he is leaving the GOP because of Donald Trump.
In a statement, Djou said he is not willing to abandon his principles, even if the party seems willing to.
In a piece published in the Honolulu Civil Beat, Djou called out President Trump and criticized Republicans for failing to stand up for their principles.
“I can no longer stand with a Republican Party that is led by a man I firmly believe is taking the party of Lincoln in a direction I fundamentally disagree with, and a party that is unwilling to stand up to him,” Djou wrote.
“It disturbs me that the Republican Party under President Donald Trump is now defined as a party hostile to immigration,” he wrote.
“We are the leader of the free world, not because we are great (or need to be great again), but because we are good.”
Djou blasted Trump for behavior “indicative of a man ignorant of honor and true sacrifice” and criticized said the president’s tweets “provide real harm to the stability of our democracy.”
“Most of all, I have long believed that our government leaders must lead by example,” he wrote.
“Character counts.”
Djou also noted his disappointment in his fellow Republicans who have failed to push back against Trump.
“I am most disappointed by the failure of the GOP to clearly and consistently condemn Trump’s childish behavior. Sadly today, too many Republicans either applaud Trump’s tirades or greet them with silent acceptance,” he wrote.
“This leads to an implicit ratification by the GOP of Trump’s undisciplined, uninformed, and unfocused leadership as a core part of the Republican Party. This is something I cannot accept and will not be a part of.”
Read Djou’s full op-ed here.
[image via Wikimedia]
