Enough

by Cassidy Hutchinson

I doubt any politician could have led the country through the deadliest pandemic in a hundred years without making errors of judgment and execution. But of all the people in the world, President Trump was uniquely unsuited to the challenge. He lacked empathy and was stubborn and impatient.

Emotions were unwelcome in the Trump White House. It was imperative to turn them off as a means to survive.

“Mark, something needs to be done. People are going to die, and the blood is going to be on your hands. This is getting out of hand. I’m going down there.”

They’re calling for the vice president to be hanged. The president is okay with it. He doesn’t want to do anything. He doesn’t think they’re doing anything wrong. He thinks Mike is a traitor. This is crazy. We need to be doing something more.

I need to check in with Mark’s Secret Service detail. We need to have a plan in case the worst happens. In case this is the beginning of a coup.

As I pull off campus, military vans pour into the city, unloading hundreds of National Guardsmen. Non-scalable metal fencing is already erected around every street. My soul feels broken. Washington looks like a war zone. Because of us.

I was disheartened at how political expediency took precedence over accountability and principles.

There is no universe where you, a former government employee in your midtwenties, should be expected to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. If you choose to work with us, your legal services will be one hundred percent pro bono.”

“Cassidy, you’re doing right by the country,” she replies. “You’re upholding your oath. The country needs this. You can explain things like no one else can, and that makes you an extremely special person to this committee. You’re bringing people into the White House. It makes your testimony powerful. I’m very proud of you, and you need to be proud of yourself.”

“You’re not putting yourself in the spotlight,” she pushes back. “You’re being called by Congress to do it. It’s important that the country sees that. It’s important that the country sees you, that women and little girls see you doing the right thing.”

Trump doesn’t care if you dispute him or call him a liar. Only silence bothers him. Being ignored drives him mad.

I still consider myself a Republican. But I denounce the tribalism that produced the outlandish conspiracy theories and violence that some party leaders not only failed to condemn but even excused in their pursuit of power. If we do not restore responsible governing, respect for our democratic practices, and accountability for our leaders as core Republican values, I fear not only for the future of our party, but for our nation.