A former Republican operative is upset that Trump answered honestly. As a former Democrat, I understand why.
Steve Schmidt, a political operative who helped give us Sarah Palin and has spent the years since apologizing for it, published a piece this week about the now-famous Trump morality quote. He’s outraged that the New York Times finally asked Trump a philosophical question and got an honest answer. Schmidt compares it to Nazi Germany. He invokes Orwell. He warns of authoritarianism.
As a former Democrat who walked away from the left, I find this fascinating. Not because Schmidt is wrong about authoritarianism being dangerous. He’s absolutely right. I just think he’s pointing his finger in the wrong direction.
What Trump Actually Said
In the Times interview, Trump was asked about limits on his power. His answer: “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
Schmidt calls this terrifying. I call it refreshing.
Think about what Trump is saying: he takes personal responsibility for his decisions. He doesn’t hide behind bureaucracy. He doesn’t pretend some committee will make the hard calls. He’s telling you exactly who is accountable. That’s not authoritarianism. That’s leadership.
You know what actual authoritarianism looks like? It looks like unelected health officials shutting down businesses for two years. It looks like social media companies coordinating with government agencies to silence dissent. It looks like a president saying “I don’t need Congress” and ruling by executive order for eight years. That was Obama. But Schmidt wasn’t invoking Lidice back then.
The Doublespeak Is Coming From Inside The House
Schmidt writes about Orwell’s concept of doublespeak—holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously, using language to obscure rather than clarify. He thinks this describes Trump supporters.
But who spent four years calling riots “mostly peaceful protests”? Who said “inflation is transitory” while prices doubled? Who told us “the border is secure” while millions crossed? Who insisted “no one is coming for your guns” while proposing gun bans?
The left has been practicing doublespeak for so long they don’t even notice anymore. When Trump says his morality guides him, at least you know where he stands. When a progressive says they support “equity,” you need a decoder ring to figure out what rights you’re about to lose.
Why This Matters
I used to think like Schmidt. I used to read warnings about authoritarianism and assume they meant the right. Then I watched my own side try to destroy people for wrong pronouns, demand ideological conformity in every institution, and celebrate when their opponents were silenced.
Schmidt is right that democracy requires vigilance. He’s right that language can be weaponized. He’s right that we should be concerned about unchecked power. He just can’t see that everything he’s warning about has already happened—from his team.
Trump answered honestly about who he is and what guides him. The media is shocked because they’re used to politicians who lie about both. Schmidt is outraged because honesty from the other side is harder to fight than deception.
As someone who once believed the warnings came from the right places, I now know better. The call was coming from inside the house all along.
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