Chris Smith Silent While Trump Attacks Democracy

Over the last four years there have many opportunities for Republicans to speak out against President Trump’s attacks on our democracy. With very few exceptions, they consistently failed. But the overwhelming silence from elected Republicans while Trump tries to convince millions of supporters to doubt the results of a conclusive election is, remarkably, a new low.

No one typifies this failure of integrity more than New Jersey’s Chris Smith, who has been a reliable enabler of Trump’s worst inclinations. When Trump solicited a foreign nation to investigate a political rival, contradicted the conclusions of US intelligence agencies about Russian election interference, or lied about voter fraud before the election, Smith didn’t say a word. In fact he hopped on the boat, Trump flag flying.

So it should come as no surprise that while Trump screams about winning the election, he and his lackeys pressure state and local officials, and the GOP endorses this effort by tweeting Trump’s crackpot lawyers, Smith is silent.

He was anyway, until Jeff Edelstein of the Trentonian embarked on a search for a NJ Republican with the integrity to acknowledge Biden’s victory and condemn Trump’s rhetoric.

In his response, Smith tried to justify what Trump is doing with a comparison to Al Gore, but as Edelstein notes, the 2000 election was different. In that election, the margin was razor thin in just one state, there were confusing and faulty ballots, and Gore never screamed about fraud.

Smith also said he supports Trump’s right to “exhaust all legal avenues” available in his fruitless search for fraud, claiming that “definitive confirmation” of the 2020 results would heal political divisions within our country.

For anyone to think that Trump screaming about a stolen election will heal divisions in our country takes a remarkable level of ignorance. We’ve seen armed protests and death threats to Michigan lawmakers. Trump has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since the election, and will certainly cling to this narrative to drive whatever grift he’s planning next - be it a media outlet or appearing as a birtheresque talking head for hire. And don’t be surprised if “did President Biden win the 2020 election fairly?” becomes a purity test for Republicans in future primaries.

But how did Smith feel about Gore “exhausting all legal avenues” back in 2000? After all, he cites Gore as justification for the current fiasco.

It should come as no surprise, but just like all matters concerning impeachment, Smith’s feelings reflect his partisanship. In 2000, he said that “Gore led our nation down this unsightly road in his overzealous search for votes in pursuit of the White House via lawsuits and countless trial lawyers.”

Just because Trump’s attempts to change the election results are hopeless does not mean they are harmless. Millions of Trump’s supporters will believe that fraudulent votes changed the outcome, and Republicans will be so beholden to this lie that the bipartisanship Smith claims to love will become politically untenable. Indeed, a conservative New Jersey radio personality and big fan of Smith is pushing Trump’s junk conspiracies. Wouldn’t a trusted conservative politician like Smith speaking truth to NJ voters help in healing divisions?

Sure, Smith just won reelection by a comfortable margin, feels no political pressure to speak out, and may be tempted to view that margin as absolution. It isn’t. All it shows is that even when faced with no political risk immediately after an election that will mark his 40th year of service in Congress, Smith won’t do the right thing.

It’s time to stop thinking of Smith as a disappointing moderate and realize that, while he’s much smarter in what he says, Smith shares Trump’s contempt for our democratic institutions and would follow him as deep into the gutter as necessary. How else to explain his continued loyalty?

Trump will soon be gone, but Trumpism will not. The silence of Smith and others has ensured that this is the future of conservatism in America. Smith’s cowardice and refusal to defend our democracy will forever be a part of his story.