Is Trump's Republican Party even conservative?

Anyone can say 'God bless America', but not everyone means it. And after GOP members refused to stand against Russian election-meddling this week, perhaps it's time we listen to those who warned us long ago that the President 'is not a conservative' at all

The GOP refused to back an amendment which would have prevented foreign meddling in US elections this week (AP)

If you had to write down the fundamental tenets of conservatism on the back of a cigarette packet, national sovereignty would surely make the scribble. "Let's not allow foreign powers to meddle in our elections" is about as basic as it gets — especially for a political party whose bread and butter is flag-waving and freedom-crowing. But with the latest “back room deal” from GOP senators just exposed, it is fair to say for far too many, love of country is a grift.

Yesterday, Senate Republicans killed a part of the Intelligence Authorization Act mandating that presidential campaigns report any endeavors by foreign entities to interfere in American elections. Proponent of the legislation Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) said the behind-closed-doors cull was a condition of passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is being debated in the Senate this week.

It is not the first time this legislation has been thwarted by GOP senators, despite it having bipartisan support among the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which Warner is the ranking Democrat. In a frustrated speech on the Senate floor, Warner stressed that Russia plans to meddle in future elections, and accused senior Republicans of being more concerned with receiving applause from Trump on Twitter than protecting the United States.

He rebuffed claims that rejection of the bill was due to committee jurisdiction squabbles, vowing to add the legislation as an amendment so that GOP lawmakers that wanted to reject it would have to go on record: “Are you for election security, or are you for allowing foreign entities to interfere and offer assistance, with no requirement to report?”

I think we already know the answer to this. Let us not forget that in 2019 the Democrats rallied around a pledge not to use hacked information on their opponents in 2020’s election – but the Trump campaign and the RNC refused.

In 2016, Never-Trump conservatives warned that the man was "not conservative and not qualified”. The former issue probably gets the least attention in the mainstream, but it’s important. If a conservative leader is not conservative in the most fundamental way, then what is he for, except to be a gravy train for career politicians who, having thrown their lot in with him, can wear his treachery too? Whether or not one agrees with an America First policy thrust to begin with is largely irrelevant here, because within the GOP leadership, the notion has failed on its own terms; none are putting country before party.

We hear a lot of talk about left-wing virtue signalling – obsessions with symbols and cheap words. But the right has had its own version – sham patriotism – for time out of mind. Of all the easy aesthetics a Republican could opt for, flag-waving is number one. Now, this latest failure to protect the homeland exposes this symbolism as a grift. Just as anyone (except perhaps Mike Pence) can say “black lives matter” without any meaningful action, “God bless America” is an easy right-wing virtue signal.

Given that patriotism is a core tenet of conservatism, this latest act disqualifies much of the Republican Senate on its own terms, never mind any ideological arguments with Democrats.

For anyone born in the shadow of the Cold War, it is hard to imagine a time in which the United States would be so demeaned as to fail to preclude election meddling from Russia, of all places. If nothing else, it should offend the GOP’s vanity.

In his speech on the floor of the Senate, Warner lamented that: “In a different time, with a different president, this bill wouldn’t be controversial at all.” But the problem is that too many career Republicans have had their principles tested and been found wanting. Trump goes after dissenters within his own party with fire and fury, calling them “human scum” – ironically, just as his pal Kim Jong-un’s propaganda apparatus describes North Korean defectors. Having mostly capitulated, Republicans in Congress can wear his failures.

In moving to protect Trump, they are continuing to hedge their bets, even though many privately disapprove of his actions. His polling numbers are currently dismal, and they are banking on a bounce. To that end, in the coming months, we’ll see the sham patriotism ramped up.

In the run-up to November’s election, the GOP leadership will, as Republicans often do, run on a “Dems hate America” platform, illustrating Trump’s pronouncements with burning buildings and looted store footage. They will play this card, despite having failed to play Patriotism 101: The United States is a sovereign nation and must decide its own elections.

For too many, this card will land. Millions still love this president. For many more, the right name on a badge carries the day, and a flag on sinking sands is still a flag.