Just because you are a Republican does not mean you are a bad person. However, generally, guilt is found in those who identify as Republican. Often, those who associate further left on the political spectrum are quick to assume that Republicans are culpable. This is not true, and yet, it is not without merit. 

The Republican platform is largely associated with conservative and traditional values, which are often outdated. Many have homophobic positions such as opposition to same-sex marriage, sexist positions such as pro-life or racist positions such as anti-immigration. They often frame these views as political when they truly cannot be interpreted as anything but oppressive.

Due to harboring crude and offensive ideologies in this day of age, many take to the title of Republican as a means to hide their true feelings on subjects for which they most certainly would be scrutinized. A common tactic used by many in the political spotlight is to distract from their own faults by focusing on another’s wrongdoing even if what they are saying is unfactual. Often, when Republicans cite negative coverage of Democrats, it is often a widespread misconception of the truth. 

This is not to say every Democrat is innocent or has never been caught guilty of crimes, this is far from the truth, but since Republicans have a disposition towards harmful beliefs, they are more often to blame. This is a major reason for conspiracy outlets such as InfoWars’ Alex Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist who spreads paranoia through lies and misconceptions. Recently, Jones claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting never occurred and was a “false flag” operation used to pass stricter gun laws. 

When the truth is irrefutable and covered by major news outlets, many such Republicans under scrutiny refuse to accept blame and instead lash out towards the media or Democrats. In December, numerous House Republicans wrote a report defending recent Trump scandals; this is a perfect example of gaslighting, a psychological manipulation meant to create doubt in the minds of a group or individual by making them question the truth of certain circumstances. The report claimed the transcript of Trump’s call with the president of Ukraine was distorted by Democrats to incriminate Trump. 

Another example of this is President Donald Trump’s crusade against the media. Trump has posted numerous tweets claiming discrepancies in the media, namely when they are covering his actions. By claiming the media is the “Enemy of the People”, he can remain innocent in the eyes of his supporters. He is not the first person to use this tactic either. Former President Richard Nixon attacked the media for negative coverage of the Watergate scandal, and even went as far as illegally wiretapping the phones of journalists. 

Trump’s influence on the nation has also had other detrimental effects. Multiple mass shooters have taken inspiration from him and cite him as a reason behind their hate-filled and racist attacks, such as Patrick Crusius, and a revival of oppressive and anti-semetic views held by Neo-Nazis. This isn’t surprising when you look at the many racist policies enacted by his administration. 

While Trump’s influence on many Americans has been harmful and negative, hurting large groups of minorities, his influence has not affected the majority of the Republican Party. In a poll conducted by The Los Angeles Times, 54% of Republicans said they wanted Trump to have more/the same influence on the Republican party while 47% wanted him to have less influence. 

Hopefully, in the near future, the influence that President Trump—and many like him— has left will be a thing of the past, and such articles as this one will not be necessary.