If we want to do anything about Donald Trump’s fascist Muslim ban other than helplessly bleat in impotent protest, we’re going to have to find Republicans who agree with us that it is a moral outrage that violates sacred tenets of our country and puts our national security at risk. It may be difficult to find Republican officeholders in Congress who will join us at the outset, but if you remember what I wrote about former Senator Bob Bennett of Utah at the time of his death, you’ll understand why I think the first place to look for political allies is with the Mormons.
Trump will win this battle if it remains a partisan fight for the simple reason that he has the people with him, or enough of them anyway to sustain his position and likely profit from it. He will gladly take this fight to the ballot box, and if it comes down to him wanting to keep Muslims out and protect us from terrorism and Democrats wanting the opposite, this ban will remain in effect and Trump will grow stronger.
Trump doesn’t have the Mormons with him on this issue, however. And they are the strongest and most consequential allies I can identify at the moment. There are many cosmopolitan Republicans, including veterans of the State Department, who will fight with us, but they are scattered and too few in number to help much.
It’s critical that this not be seen as Democrat vs. Republican brawl. Any Republican who will speak out is more valuable than a hundred Democrats. And if Mormons in Congress are going to listen, they are going to listen to their own brethren. They do not care what a bunch of liberals think, and are reflexively inclined to disagree with them and oppose them.
Organizing this fight will require an open mind about working with folks you haven’t worked with in the past.
This is going to be true about the Trump presidency in general, but it’s particularly clear in this case.
