Dear Sen. Murkowski:
Thank you for opposing the Hegseth nomination and voting correctly on a very few other issues in opposition to the Trump administration since 2017.
It should be blatantly obvious by now that your efforts have not been sufficient.
It is in no way an exaggeration to say that everything I was indoctrinated and educated to believe about American civics in my 60 years is being violated by Donald Trump and his enablers—which is to say the Republican Party—specifically the Republican members of congress.
Donald Trump and his collaborators are demonstrably intent on rapidly dismantling our democratic constitutional republic. Everything they are doing has been foreshadowed by their words and actions, such as secret-police style test-abductions during the Portland BLM demonstrations under the first Trump administration, and now with disregard for due process and the Writ of Habeas Corpus, most glaringly (at the moment) in the Abrego-Garcia abduction and illegal deportation and foreign imprisonment case.
The full list of violations is long and growing each day, just 100 days in—and truly as Donald Trump loves to exhort, “like nothing we’ve ever seen before!”
This “Unitary Executive” branch is moving swiftly with no serious regard for the Supreme Court’s rulings, to target Citizens whom it deems “criminals” for abduction and disappearance. Donald Trump is not hiding this, my fellow “Home-Grown”.
Tyrants and their enablers operate from a position of unpopularity, of weakness. They are outnumbered. That’s why they’re tyrannical, lawless when the laws don’t suit them. The delusion that they can be controlled with appeasement only validates and emboldens them.
Tyrannies are inherently and necessarily corrupt and thus incompetent at governing, bound to fail; either through the courage and wisdom of those—such as yourself—in positions of power to push back in peaceful defense of rule-of-law during the early stages of an overthrow; or, eventually by national and societal catastrophe at horrific cost.
We desperately need you to stop being “afraid” and to courageously and patriotically push back.
Leave the corrupted Republican Party, become an Independent in the style of Angus King or even Bernie Sanders; if you feel physically threatened by “the base”, carry a defensive side-arm. You were hired and sworn to defend our Constitution and Country; not the President, and not the Party.
Someone right-of-center in the Senate must stand up for our country, to take that first step. Others will join you. Given the Senate’s right-wing composition, I can’t imagine anyone else but you making that crucial first move in meaningful, outspoken opposition. Exiting the right-wing and standing firm will ensure that you are on the right side of history. This is your moment for our country—and your legacy.
Dean Cully
Anchorage, Alaska