How is a Conservative Supposed to React to the Trump White House?

It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the White House, under the stewardship of Donald Trump, is facing a very steep learning curve as well as uncertainty as to America’s mooring in the world.

Based upon its first six months, the Trump Administration has certainly tried to do things of which conservatives generally approve:  new Supreme Court Justice, solid cabinet appointments and cancellation of anti-business Obama executive orders.

But there is so much more that needs to be done, including tax reform and a new health insurance reform.

Unfortunately, it seems as though the president is easily distracted and diverted from pursuing important policy objectives.  Of course, the overriding hindrance to Mr. Trump’s focus is his family’s Russian concerns.

It is tempting for conservatives to simply dismiss these worries as the product of a hostile liberal media.  To be sure, those pushing the investigation from the left do not mean well.  But facts recently uncovered (the president’s son’s emails) make clear that there are legitimate questions about the president’s campaign.

Thus, the possibility that Trump campaign leaders (and maybe with the President’s knowledge) acted improperly in seeking Russian assistance against Hillary Clinton cannot no longer be ignored by those on the right.

[To be sure, that the lead media organization investigating a possible Russia connection is The New York Times makes conservatives very suspicious of the reporting.  After all, the Times’ biased coverage of Trump’s campaign hardly vouches for its integrity or reliability.  But Republicans must acknowledge that the liberal organ was proven justified in pursuing this story – Trump Jr.’s release of his damning emails showed that.]

Conservatives must resist the temptation (generated by loyalty to Trump and hostility to his liberal foes), to reflexively side with the White House.  Our own integrity, for now and the future, should not be sacrificed.  We must not shy away from the truths we mightily condemned.

Slavish - and dishonest - conduct of the Obama Administration, for instance, pertaining to health care and Benghazi. Are we going to allow ourselves to be viewed by the general public in the same way?  There are troubling signs that that is exactly what is happening. 

Recent polling about Americans’ attitudes towards Russia shows a flip-flop among Republicans.  It used to be a given that the right was more suspicious of Moscow’s intentions than Democrats.  The GOP was the party backing a strong defense; the opposition was more inclined to favor accommodation and to be tolerant of Russian aggression (a typical attitude on the left was “what makes us think we’re angels?”).

Apparently this is no longer true.  A poll taken last week revealed that forty-eight percent of Republicans supported the indefensible – Trump, Jr.’s meeting with the Russian lawyer regarding information on Hillary Clinton.  Only thirty-three percent of GOP voters opposed it.  In contrast, only twenty-seven percent of independents thought it was a good idea.  Sixty three percent were against it.

Something is very wrong with the Republican Party if so many of its members change their views to be in accord with those, apparently, of the White House.  Genuine conservatives should be guided by principles only.