Tradition dictates that the President of the United States be held to a higher standard; that their actions be above reproach and any comparison to any other citizen be based upon that standard. This means that no one should be compared to the president when it comes to the standards expected of the one holding the office.
And yet, time after time, Trump is allowed to be compared to average citizens when it comes to moral and ethical standards. This is a luxury that no other resident of the Oval Office has been permitted…until now.
Just this week the bombshell revaluations of the soon-to-be released Bob Woodward book exposed how Trump deliberately lied to the American public when it came to the coronavirus outbreak. Despite the fact it resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans, the right wing media twisted the narrative by blaming Woodward for failing to release the details of his interviews with Trump. Trump later echoed these sentiments when speaking to the press and at rally held later that day.
During a recent campaign-style “press briefing”, Trump ripped into the media for asking questions of his opponent, Joe Biden, that Trump said “were meant for a child”. He conveniently ignores the softball interviews and fawning he receives on what has been called “state run media” on Fox News.
Again, Trump is demanding that he be held to a different, albeit lower, standard than others.
Time after time, Republicans are demanding anyone who challenges Trump be held to a higher standard than Trump himself. They defend Trump and point their fingers at anyone else rather than confront his flagrant disregard of the responsibilities of the office he holds and the oath he swore to defend.
When it was alleged that Trump called members of the military “suckers” and “losers”, there was zero response from Congressional Republicans. They didn’t even try to dispute the claims, but instead ignored the comments, hoping they would fade away until the next outrageous comments came to surface. They ignore Trump’s history of disrespecting veterans, including the late John McCain, a Gold Star family and even the widow of a soldier lost in an ambush.
Yet, if Trump loses the upcoming election, there no doubt will be Republicans who demand the type of accountability and adherence to the high standards of the office of President Biden that Trump has ignored . They will deny the hypocrisy they exercised the past four years.
Except, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. By allowing Trump to run roughshod over the standards of the office, Republicans would be loath to criticize any perceived abuses that Biden might commit.
But Joe Biden understands and respects the Office of the President. Serving with President Obama for eight years, he is well aware of the weight of the office. He will return the dignity and respect the office deserves. He will restore the high standards that were expected of previous occupants of the Oval Office.
It’s time to end the double standards. It’s time to restore respect and dignity to the White House. It’s time for Donald Trump to be held accountable for his multiple abuses of the office and hold those who allowed the abuses accountable as well.
November 3.