Pledging my own personal impeachment. The Republican Party is not the Trump Party.

I became a Republican in the most straightforward way I know, by going to Vietnam as part of the foreign policy of 1960s Democrats and witnessing firsthand the train wreck they created. Returning there later, I saw that Republicans did not win the war, but did get us out in some order and did minimally get our POWs home, which was better than the French did earlier. Since those times I have supported Republican values and have mostly, not always, supported Republican positions.

Now I am weary and my nose is sore from having to hold it so often these last years, mostly over Donald Trump. Yes, he did some good things and he brought in talented people, most of whom he ultimately fired or chased off as he did stupid corrupt things. My top list of stupid corrupt things includes his coronavirus malfeasance, including downplaying and denying the seriousness, his constant lies about winning the election he lost, his blatantly crooked call to the Georgia Secretary of State asking him to “find” more votes to overturn his loss, and the ultimate worst, his call to supporters to come to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 and his incitement of the insurrection that stormed our Congress, allowing it to continue without restraint. And, possibly the worst, his showing zero regret for any of his actions even as he continues to lie to anyone who will listen.

I’ve not forgotten the corruption at the FBI that launched an investigation of Trump based on false evidence, nor the Speaker of the House standing behind him at his State of the Union address and ceremoniously tearing up his speech like a spoiled child, nor the Senate Minority Leader standing on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court threatening the justices if they failed to rule as he wished. All of this is disgraceful. If I could push some magic button and fire them all, I’d do it immediately. Having no such button, what to do?

I am reminded of the words of a cold war Soviet dissident: “When truth is replaced by silence the silence is a lie”. So, what I will do is speak out. First and foremost, I am thoroughly convinced that Donald Trump is a narcissistic sociopath who has no regard for anyone or anything but his own ego. If our country has to burn down so he can continue to lie about winning an election he lost, fine with him. On that score alone, he is unfit for any office and I would thus impeach him and I would add many other Republicans who prostitute themselves to support him (Cruz, Hawley, Rubio, many others, federal and state). I pledge my own personal impeachment instead: I absolutely guarantee that I will never in any future election vote in favor of Trump or any of his shameless supporters for any public office, not for president, not for dog catcher. Moreover, I will campaign and contribute against them and support whomever is their opponent. I find it totally offensive seeing Trump Jr’s announcement on Jan 6 saying “…the Republican Party is now the Trump Party.” I reply, “Wrong, Moron!” I maintain there is still a true Republican Party and I will keep my membership in it. For others who want a Trump party, good bye and good riddance. I will support our own Senator McConnell wherever he or anyone else reasserts true Republican membership.

True Republicans must reform, reorganize, and return to core philosophies, including principle and country over party or self. Violent extremists, wacky conspiracy believers, and self-serving political cowards have no place there. Let them be the Trump party and if it means Republicans remain a minority, so be it. I will choose integrity anytime. Some will disagree and I will respect your choice, hear your positions and afterward I will buy the drinks. But my choice is made. And now I have spoken out.

Brian Engle is a retiree of the United States Air Force and of the federal government, now living in Lexington. He is originally from Harlan.

This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 5:36 PM.