OPINION: Is Rep. Zinke still supporting Trump? How could he?

In the wake of Donald Trump’s 2005 admission to having committed sexual assault, and then a few of his victims corroborating that admission, I sent an email to Rep. Ryan Zinke asking if he still supports Trump.

I did not received a response to that inquiry. However, on Thursday, Oct. 13, a letter from Rep. Zinke’s wife, Lolita Zinke, was published in the Inter Lake that may have answered my question. I say, “may,” because her letter could have been written before the corroborating witnesses came forward. Therefore, she deserves the benefit of the doubt on that point. Nevertheless, there are disturbing aspects of her letter that arise even if they were expressed before the corroborating witnesses’ disclosures.

First, Mrs. Zinke states she has “... been criticized ... by the left because they cannot comprehend or respect a woman choosing to vote for Mr. Trump.” That criticism was apparently leveled even before the release of the shocking Access Hollywood video. Now, in light of Trump’s confessions, it truly is incomprehensible how a mother of a daughter and a grandmother of granddaughters could continue to zealously campaign for such a person. Mrs. Zinke cites a bunch of Breitbart lies about Hillary as her excuse, but, even if those lies were true, they couldn’t begin to justify advocating that an admitted sexual predator should become president.

Next, Mrs. Zinke shrugs off Trump’s confession as mere “locker room talk.” Certainly, Mrs. Zinke, as an attorney, must recognize there is a big difference between merely using crude language in a locker room, and a confession to crimes that would result in a prison sentence for anyone not as “entitled” as Trump. Actually, it doesn’t take an attorney to know the difference between right and wrong. It only takes someone with a sense of decency. Why then, are there any politicians still endorsing Trump?

There have been many notable Republican legislators, both nationally and locally, who renounced support for Trump, both before, and after his nomination, for numerous understandable reasons. Those Republicans evince the true character and moral compass that all lawmakers should emulate. There are other notable Republicans who condemned Trump after the recent Access Hollywood tapes were released. Some, even later, condemned him only after the victims of Trump’s sexual assaults spoke out.

Then there are those gutless politicians who still stand by Trump and support his candidacy no matter how reprehensible his conduct and attitude toward women has been over his entire life. It is now clear, notwithstanding the inane chants at Trump rallies, and the stupid T-shirts, it is truly Trump who should be in prison. Therefore, “gutless” is the only way to describe politicians who still endorse Trump.

I can understand voters who hate Hillary so much that they plug their noses and vote for Trump. However, I cannot respect a politician who sells-out common decency to actively support a completely amoral candidate. Again, the only plausible reason is gutless fear of repercussions from the Breitbart wing, which has commandeered the entire Republican Party.

It is truly sad that our political discourse has come to this, but it has come to this solely because the Republican Party chose to nominate one so devoid of common decency and moral character. So, Rep. Zinke, will you stand up for common decency, or will you gutlessly support an absolutely despicable life form for the presidency of our country?

I want to make clear that this is not a rhetorical question I am asking. All Montanans deserve to know whether a candidate for re-election to the United States House of Representatives has the moral fiber for that post, or whether he is just another gutless politician who is afraid to cross the Breitbart faction of the Republican Party.

Weed is a resident of Kalispell.