Dear Republicans,

What the hell? Are you really going to stick with a clearly incompetent and corrupt conman at the expense of the rule of law and our standing in the world? Did you read that letter he sent to Erdogan? Are you listening to what his own advisors are telling Congress? If so, what is wrong with you?

In case you missed it, Trump sent a letter to the President of Turkey that sounds like it was written for National Lampoon. If it wasn’t so pathetic and damaging to our credibility, it would be hilarious. It’s clear that Donald Trump’s understanding of international relations is on par with that of a third grader. He has no grasp of foreign affairs and even less self-awareness. The press had to double check with the White House to make sure someone wasn’t punking Trump. Turns out, he punked himself. 

And this Ukraine thing. Trump flat out admitted that he called on the President of Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Your own neo-conservative hero John Bolton warned advisors of corruption saying he wasn’t going to be part of “whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up,” referring to Trump’s Ambassador to the European Union and Chief of Staff respectively. The more people testify, the more Trump’s credibility is damaged. In some twisted attempt to normalize that behavior, he asked the authoritarians in China to investigate them, too. At a news conference. 

So what is it? Are you going to argue that Trump didn’t do what he admitted to doing and numerous people testify that he did? Or are you going to directly contradict the Founding Fathers who warned repeatedly about foreign intervention into our political and governmental affairs and say that what Trump did was ok? Or are you going to stick your head in the sand and pretend it never happened?

And how about Trump’s violation of the emoluments clause? Why did you insist that Jimmy Carter divest from his peanut farms but won’t call on Trump to divest from his business dealings? Carter owned property in Georgia while Trump’s business spans the globe. And why was it wrong for Clinton to invite donors to spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom but okay for foreign countries to lease entire floors of Trump properties?

You mocked Obama for “leading from behind” on foreign policy and now you’re okay when Trump literally cuts and runs? He abandoned allies we swore to protect, leaving them to be slaughtered by the Turks and giving Russia an advantage in the Middle East. We literally blew up our own base and armaments to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. How is that benefitting anybody but our foes? And why are you standing with Assad and Putin instead of the Kurds who defeated ISIS? 

What will it take for you to show loyalty to country over party? Why are you proving Trump’s claim that he could shoot somebody on 5^th Avenue and his supporters would stick with him? And when, when, will you turn off Fox News and start paying attention to something that’s not propaganda?

I’m certainly angry at what you’ve let Trump do to our country by refusing to hold him accountable in any way, but I’m also embarrassed for you since you’ve lost your own sense of shame. While the world is shaking its head and wondering what’s happening to America, you’re rationalizing that everything is ok, or at least better than it would be under a Democrat. You’re just as delusional as the president. Snap out of it.