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WHY I WILL NOT BE JOINING THE PROTESTS AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedBelow is today’s column in USA Today on the protests against President-Elect Donald Trump and why, despite having a house full of family members and friends who have come to protest Trump, I will not be joining them. Instead, I will be home with my kids as we have been in every inauguration – celebrating the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy and wishing the newly elected president (and our country) the best with an inaugural toast. I criticized Trump (and Hillary Clinton) during the campaign (and I will not hesitate to criticize Trump again for policies or actions that I disagree with). However, I find the claims of illegitimacy and attacks this week to be highly disturbing. I totally respect the right of people to come to protest Trump and his policies. However, there appears to be a concerted effort to delegitimize his presidency and create a type of political mythology about this election.

In this column I discuss that mythology and, more importantly, the meaning of the day of inauguration for many of us. Regardless of my criticism of both Trump and Clinton, I always knew that on January 20th I would raise a glass to the 45th President of the United States and wish him or her . . . and us . . . the best of luck in the coming years. It is a time when we reaffirm our commitment not so much to a politician but to each other. We reaffirm a common article of faith that, despite our disagreements and divisions, we remain one country joined by our belief in democratic transition and government. There is much to celebrate this week as a glance around the world at places like Gambia will readily confirm. Donald Trump will be the 45th President. Our President.

DONALD TRUMP IS OUR LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT

It is inaugural week and Washington is again the rallying point for hundreds of thousands of people. Indeed, my house in McLean, Virginia is hosting roughly a dozen people from Illinois and Florida. They are not, however, coming to celebrate but to protest. My brother Chris, his family, and various friends will be joining thousands protesting the inauguration and then will join the “Women’s March.” I will not be joining them. While I fully support their exercise of free speech and share some of their concerns, I believe that this week is about celebrating the 71st time that a democratically elected president has taken the oath of office (and our 58th formal inauguration). I was highly critical of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the campaign. However, there is a time to protest and there is a time to come together, even if only for an inaugural ceremony.

Over 50 Democratic members of Congress have publicly announced that they will not attend the inauguration, including some like Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., who has insisted that Trump is not the legitimate president. (Lewis and other members also boycotted George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001 because they insisted that he was not the true elected president.) Ironically, many of these members were the same people joining Hillary Clinton in denouncing the “horrifying” notion that Trump or his supporters might not accept the results of the election. Clinton decried how Trump, by not stating that he would accept the results of losing, he was “denigrating — he is talking down our democracy.” That was when Clinton was viewed as a shoe-in. Then came election night.

After the election, Clinton joined others in challenging results in key states and Democrats began to question the legitimacy of the election — first due to the fact that Trump lost the popular vote and later based on Russian hacking of Democratic emails.

It is of course immaterial that Trump lost the popular vote in a system based on electoral, not popular voting. (For the record, I have long been a critic of the Electoral College.) Moreover, while references to the “Russian hacking of the election” have become common shorthand, the Russians did not hack the election. Emails were hacked and those emails were not faked or tampered with, as repeatedly claimed by DNC chair Donna Brazile. As recently confirmed by the intelligence report, they were real emails showing incredibly dishonest and corrupt practices. Although there is no question that the leak appears selective in targeting Democrats, Washington seems most aggrieved by the fact that the public was given a true insight into the false and duplicitous behavior that defines the establishment. However, according to a new CNN/ORC poll, the spin is not taking: almost 60% of voters do not believe the hacking determined the outcome of the election.

In the end, the protests are not about legitimacy. Trump is by any measure our duly elected and legitimate president. It is about a refusal to accept legitimate results. Even the title of “The Women’s March” is dubious.

While Bill Clinton insisted that his wife lost because Trump figured out “how to get angry, white men to vote for him,” the fact is that it was the Democratic leadership that secured the election for Trump. Despite long-standing polls showing that voters did not want an establishment figure, the establishment pre-selected Clinton, who is not only one of the most recognized establishment figures but someone carrying more luggage than Greyhound. She is also someone who had even higher negative polling on character and truthfulness than Trump.

More importantly, it is a well-maintained myth that Clinton was the candidate of women who overwhelmingly rejected Trump. Clinton pulled basically the same percentage of female votes as Obama did four years earlier. Indeed, Clinton actually did slightly worse this election than Obama did in the prior two presidential elections with women. She received just 54% of women’s votes while Obama received 55% against Romney and 56% against McCain. Trump handily beat Clinton among many groups of women. For example, 62% of white women without college degrees voted for him over Clinton. Even among college-educated women, Clinton only won 51%. She lost the votes of white women by a whooping 52-43% against Trump. It was her margin among black female voters (over 90%) that eked out an overall majority of women.

Moreover, Trump won basically the same percentage of white voters as Romney. Indeed, according to Pew Research, the percentage was virtually identical with Trump beating Clinton by 21 points and Romney beating Obama by 20 points. Clinton actually fell in the percentage of black voters. Trump outperformed Romney among black, Hispanic, and Asian voters. For example, despite all of the coverage of Trump’s illegal immigration comments, he received roughly 30% of all Hispanic votes.

The point is not to belittle the basis or numbers of opponents to Trump. Yet, there is an effort to establish a mythology that Trump was elected by white men and heavily opposed by women. Worse yet, there is an effort to portray him as some presidential pretender to the office. In reality, it is Democratic leaders who have abandoned tradition and denigrated our democracy by refusing to stand with the new president at his inauguration. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said she would not attend because she did not want to “contribute to the normalization of the President-elect’s divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration.” That “normalization” is called the democratic process. We are celebrating not a particular victor but the fact that there was a victor — a democratically elected victor followed by a peaceful transition of power.

So, I will not be with my brother and friends at the protests. I will be home toasting the 71st oath of office . . . and, yes, the 45th president of the United States.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.

423 thoughts on “WHY I WILL NOT BE JOINING THE PROTESTS AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP”

  2. This is the new Trump revolutionary jacket. Some have called it the Trump authoritarian jacket. It retails for $3800 so step on up and buy one. Maybe TRUMP INC can make some more for those that cannot afford the real deal. Then y’all can march in step. 🙂

  3. It’s the morning of the rebirth of America. I am watching the ceremony and had one question pop into my mind. As I watched all the families come in and be seated I could not locate obama’s kids. Are they there? Wondered if maybe their dad had not told them yet that they were moving. Just asking!

    2. Of course we just ran a Constitutionally required counter-revolution against the hammer/sickle/swastika revolution. Perfect choice and says what it means. You’ll find the reference in the first phrase of the oath of office.

    3. I love that coat. It reminds me of the 1960s with a fun nod to Austin Powers. Very fun.

      But I loved all the coats the prominent ladies wore today – Michelle’s cranberry sparkly long dress coat, Melania’s elegant and very well tailored powder blue coat, and Kellyanne’s fun and lighthearted red white and blue coat. All different styles and all beautiful.

  5. Agreed. It’s a problematic new “regime” for me, but we must respect the peaceful process. I’ll stand up and be heard, but I’m struggling to understand how to do that in a way that is productive for us as a country.

    1. I recall posting the odds back in September or maybe August. This came from another post though.

      100% chance of a totalitarian socialist autocracy vote Clinton

      Now for Trump. Think of him as a lottery ticket.

      Those were the only valid odds I heard but they got better toward the end thinking of it as Vote Against Politicians and For Outsiders.

  6. Shame on those egotistical absentee Democrats.
    The U.S.A.is a symbol of courage not cowardice.
    A symbol of strength not weakness.
    The U.S.A. will still be here when they are gone.
    God Bless America.

  8. Here are some of my differences with JT.

    First, this wasn’t a free and fair election. Clinton cheated herself into the candidacy. Further, both the Democratic and Republican parties engage in and have engaged in voter suppression. This is a systemic problem which needs to be addressed. We need paper ballots which can be checked for accuracy. We need instant run off voting so that third, forth and fifth parties have a place in our electoral system. We need to clean up a whole lot about the voting process in the US, making sure that every voter who wants to vote may do so and have their vote counted (just once, no dead people voting!). We should eliminate the EC.

    This has not been a peaceful transfer of power. There has been a coup in progress with some parts of the oligarchy trying everything in their power to put Clinton )or another Democratic minion) in office. They have engage in lies, violence and everything they can think of to overturn this election. After CNN’s assassination scenario, I won’t believe power has been transfered until it really has been transfered!

    Finally, the entire system is rigged so that only the oligarchy choses the candidates we get to “choose”. Then the people get to choose from the preselected inventory! No wonder things simply don’t change from one election to the next.

    So, yes, this is the system we have now and Donald won under that system. Had Clinton won, she would have won under these same terms.

    It’s up to us to make the system just. The oligarchy isn’t going to do this for us. We the people have a lot of work to do.

    1. Okay ladies rejoice. The USA has elected a president who is an actual oligarch and has filled his cabinet with oligarchs and banksters of the worst variety. You won. Hope you have mucho dinero. You are sure going to need it.

      1. Shame you didn’t use a dictionary. I speak both languages and that’s not what it says in either the valid English nor any of the Spanish dictionaries. Now….tell the truth. You made all that frijoles up right?

  9. I predict this country is going to become even more divided. Just spoke to a friend who told me her child’s school sent out permission slips to allow kids to watch the Inauguration!

    1. Now that is the way it should be done. Same with a number of other subjects. Parental involvement comes first. Teachers somewhere down the line.

  10. (music)
    New Guy. Call him New Guy!
    What kind of people want the New Guy?

    Fat kids, skinny kids, …. kids who climb on rocks…
    Fat pigs, weeny yids, …. even kids with chicken pox…
    Want New Guy. They want New Guy!

    The guy, dogs, … like.. to Bite!

  11. Twas the night before Inauguration, and up in the tower,
    The Donald reflected on his newfound power.
    The conservative masses had come out in force,
    And delivered a victory that would chart a new course.

    The snowflakes were shell-shocked with tears in their eyes,
    The media lied to them . . . What a surprise.
    They had been promised a Hillary win,
    But the criminal Clinton took one on the chin.

    And though from all corners celebrities flew,
    They made no impression, for they hadn’t a clue.
    They talked about climate, racism, and such,
    And they made up good stories . . . But didn’t know much.

    The fake news and ignorance came at a cost,
    And they can’t understand all the reasons they lost.
    They blame it on Comey and Bernie and Vlad,
    But fail to acknowledge the one that was bad.

    Yes, Hillary Clinton, in many ways flawed,
    Was her own biggest hurdle toward getting the nod.
    The campaign exposed her corruptness and greed,
    And her speeches were punch-less as ten dollar weed.

    So out in the streets there arose such a clatter,
    It was Soros-paid protestors and Black Lives Matter.
    With cities to pillage and windows to smash,
    They knew not the issues, but needed the cash.

    Eight years of Obama had given them cause,
    To expect a replacement of their Santa Claus.
    But soon the protestors will feel the pain,
    When the wheels fall off of the old gravy train.

    And now all the snowflakes are riddled with fear,
    Upset and offended by things that they’ll hear.
    The cocoa and crayons will help for a while,
    But fact-based opinions will soon cramp their style.

    I originally supported, and voted, for Cruz,
    In the end, I would vote for whoever they choose.
    He wasn’t my first choice, but soon I would cede,
    The one they call Trump is the one that we need.

    I saw him on TV in front of a crowd,
    He spoke about veterans, it made me feel proud.
    He spoke about energy, safety, and jobs,
    Taking this country back from the Washington snobs.

    He was dressed in Armani, all tailored and neat,
    And the Brunos he wore made the outfit complete.
    For a man of his vintage, he seemed rather fit,
    And he looked presidential, I have to admit.

    His eyes glowed like embers, his smile was the best,
    And his hair was the color of my old hunting vest.
    His love for this country was on full display,
    And his actions spoke louder than his words could say.

    He thanked all his voters, and before he was gone,
    Saved thousands of jobs while Obama looked on.
    The fate of this country left nothing to chance,
    So, he filled out his cabinet weeks in advance.

    The men he had chosen were of the same mind,
    Let’s set the bar high, and not lead from behind.
    He picked up his phone as he rose from his seat,
    With a flick of his finger, he sent out this tweet;

    “Now Mattis!, now Kelly!’ now Sessions! And Pruitt!
    On Perry! On Flynn, You’re the ones who can do it.
    Start lifting restrictions and building the wall,
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”;

    The roar of his audience rose from the stands,
    He kissed all their babies and shook all their hands.
    He answered their questions and calmed all their fears,
    They knew it would be a fantastic four years.
    Then he jumped in his limo, and off to his jet,
    A fellow that Liberals won’t soon forget.
    He sent one more tweet as the evening expired;
    “Happy Inauguration to all,
    AND OBAMA – YOU’RE FIRED!”

  12. It is really disgraceful that so many House members are willing to tear at the fabric of our Democratic system just express their pique. Sadder yet is the lack of leadership from the President and all Democratic Party leaders.

    Funny that Donald Trump could look into the camera and say “stop it!” In response to complaints about hateful attacks by his supporters. Claims that seem to have been largely fabricated. Yet there is no one in the Democratic leadership who has the integrity to speak “truth to power” and tell their members to respect the American people.

    I suspect that the President himself is behind this. Pretending to cooperate while taking steps to sabotage Trump and more importantly, the American people.

  13. Sooo happy, after 8 looong years…..when we accepted the will of the Voters.!.

    I will HOPE for America, today.!!

    I will PRAY that America can once again reach her potential.!

    1. Not a rousing recommendation. I think I’ll stick with the Constitutional version and Jefferson’s pithy comment – separation of church and state.

      1. It doesn’t . It says peaceful assembly. “Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Protest is a form of petitioning which might be verbal or written or both.

        There are many urban myths about rights about 80 of them are false. Right To Privacy and same when voting are two of them.

        Furthermore under the Patriot Act if the undefined word terrorism is used the civil rights and Bill of Rights don’t exist nor in that context does the Constitution exist within 100 miles from the borders or coasts.

        The one I usually seize on is the taking away of rights already existing by the Money is Free Speech ruling since having to match funds is out of reach of what 90% of the citizens? How is that not ‘abridging.’

        funny thing… no one left of center protested my two preceding paragraphs.

  17. Watching Lee Greenwood sing today at the Lincoln Memorial was truly moving. The Democrats need to get on board and get over it. The country is moving forward.

    Lee Greenwood – Proud To Be An American Lyrics

    If tomorrow all the things were gone,
    I’d worked for all my life.
    And I had to start again,
    with just my children and my wife.

    I’d thank my lucky stars,
    to be livin here today.
    ‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
    and they can’t take that away.

    And I’m proud to be an American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
    And I wont forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.

    And I gladly stand up,
    next to you and defend her still today.
    ‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
    God bless the USA.

    From the lakes of Minnesota,
    to the hills of Tennessee.
    Across the plains of Texas,
    From sea to shining sea.

    From Detroit down to Houston,
    and New York to L.A.
    Well there’s pride in every American heart,
    and its time we stand and say.

    That I’m proud to be an American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
    And I wont forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.

    And I gladly stand up,
    next to you and defend her still today.
    ‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
    God bless the USA.

    And I’m proud to be and American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
    And I wont forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.

    And I gladly stand up,
    next to you and defend her still today.
    ‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
    God bless the USA.

      1. Yeah, but the song gets me every time. “I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me.” No matter what one thinks about Trump, God Bless America – especially tomorrow.

          1. On behalf of my fallen comrades and our oath to the Constitution. Thank you.

      2. and where did you serve? So far this is three times you dodged that question. Choose wisely there will be a test.

    1. That’s so kewl !!!

      Must be all the cat dander that makes your mind so feeble.

  20. Trump ha exposed the corruption of democrats and the mental illness of the media like no one had in the past!

    1. Few should doubt CNN & MSNBC have delegitimized themselves! In vilifying Trump, both networks vilify themselves. In attempting to embarrass Trump they embarrass themselves. In short, hurrah for Trump for beating an ESTABLISHMENT politician & an ESTABLISHMENT media!

      1. Just sticking this where ever I can. Today a former Democrat in NY State bolted that party and joined the IDC or Independent Democrat Congress. The reason was he needed a pay raise. but here’s the continuation of this as a bellwether or harbinger of things to come.

        ” So the real news is the Democrats seekiing to leave the Democrat Party or what’s left of it will become the Independent Democratic Congress and that of course will translate to Washington DC as the Socialist (former Democrats) continue to splinter and dissolve. This leaves one chunk heading to the far left as the Regressive Extremists, a White Identity group run by George Soros, one chunk Independent Greens or some similar name. and the formerly named Blue Dogs becoming IDC.”

        (addition – with the African America etc taking over the old Democrat party, its HQ, staff, and bank accounts if any and removing the age old stain of that parties support of slavery, black and jim crow laws and anti civil rights support) Which means that side, for a while, has no power whatsoever and will be lucky to elect someone to the dog catcher chamber a the federal level. I added that for this blog.

        to continue

        “So the Question is at this point. Where will the RINOs go? Two choices. They come to Jesus politically speaking and start supporting the Constitution and the Republic and representive democracy as it’s base OR they join the IDC if they are accepted. OR they run to Mama and the Scregs. (Secular Regressives)

        And the IDC? Forms a coalition with the Constitutional Republic Party – formerly the Republicans and continues draining the swamp.”

        Nice! Schumer is about to become more historical than what’s his name Reed? or Weed? or something.

        1. and take Pelosillyni with you chuckee. Ten new seats in the Senate in 2018? we’re not talking decimation we’re talking obliteration. How many of them are up for grabs this next go round?

      2. Going back some weeks I was reminded in reading a newly acquired book Montesqieu by Susan Gordon of the most important reasons to understand events of 2016 and 2017.

        Often the stultification of society leads to turmoil and upheaval and then change, a time when all avenues to make change seemed barred, the prices and barriers too high yet not making change is even more unacceptable

        “On September 17, 1787 an astounding document was created that would change the course of world politics and government. The United States Constitution became the supreme law of the United States of America. Upon it’s ratification it unified the thirteen largely separate Nation States to perform a new American nation.

        It created a government created upon a complex system of checks and balances in which power would be divided into separate executive, legislative and judicial branches. This type of government has proven to be a remarkable success. It has stood the test of time …. James Madison a driving force behind the new Constitution cited Montesquieu as his authority when he insisted on the separation of powers in the new American Government.”.

        Today as we embark on tearing down and ridding outselves of a failed experiment in turning our backs on that most noble and main principle of our Consitutional government we can too easily be focused hither and yon and miss the most important development of the last several months.

        And as this failed experiment is done away with and the principle of separation of powers of checks and balances restored as the Fourth Branch split asunder and sent back to either it’s proper places or disappeared we should remember those who made it all possible and given us this chance by making the Constitution such an astounding and in it’s own right an existing document…alive and well. Madison, Montesqieu and the others.

        Fellow citizens you are living in an important part of one fo the most interesting times of history. We have proven and most now continue to prove our individual worth as self governing, thinking, reasoning, free and independent citizens of the greatest nation on earth.

        Not perfect but with the abilit to recognize imperfection and seek to amend and perfect one step at a time;

        Welcome to the Age are in a the new age of Enlightenment Part II.

        1. That was the dashed off not edited perfectly version. from midnight the 22nd.

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