The Republican Party has officially established itself as the party of Donald Trump and the party of lies.

Its national committee has censured GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for having joined Democratic colleagues in investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.

It gets worse: The charges against the representatives are that they are engaging in the “persecution” of those engaging in “legitimate political protest” (those who desecrated the Capitol and brutally assaulted Capitol Police officers).

I wonder if the GOP would also consider to be legitimate political protest a band of thousands of crazed Black Lives Matter members who forced their way into the White House during Donald Trump’s term, attacking Secret Service agents, smearing feces on the walls, rummaging through personal documents and pursuing Trump in order to kill him.

Both major political parties have often spoken of the need to establish “a big tent,” to welcome as members those who have different views on the issues. The Republican Party now has a shameful litmus test: In order to serve in high elective office under the GOP banner, you must promote the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen or, at the very least, refuse to challenge the primary promoter of the lie, and you must write off as nothing the atrocity of the Capitol attack which resulted in deaths, injuries to law enforcement officers and millions of dollars in damage.

Former giants of the GOP like the late Presidents Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower would not recognize the aberration and monstrosity that their party has become.

Oren Spiegler

Peters

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