Iowa's Political Cowards in Congress

They Remain Silent As Trump's Demolition Derby Against Democracy Continues

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here,” the poet Dante Alighieri wrote in 1492.

Dante was writing about Hell. But he could just as well have been writing about Iowa in 2023, the current state of its all Republican congressional delegation - House and Senate - and anybody who still expects any member of that delegation to muster up the courage to speak out to protect American democracy as Donald Trump continues to take a wrecking ball to it.

Face it, Iowa. You sent a flock of political cowards to Congress.

The times call for real political courage and leadership but these folks aren’t providing a featherweight’s worth of it. They’ve been figuratively hiding under their beds since the number of Trump’s indictments rose to 75, after new ones - for trying to overthrow the government - were added this past week.

You’d think when a former president is indicted by a grand jury of impartial citizens, who heard and carefully considered the evidence, elected leaders might have something to say about that.

Historians certainly will.

But “mum’s the word” for Iowa’s all Republican congressional delegation. They blast President Biden daily, it seems, with psuedo tough guy, always self serving, and often sophomoric press releases, so it can’t be because they are bashful about criticizing presidents.

With one exception - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-2nd IA) - not one Iowan in Congress has had anything to say about either the new indictments or the new round of ever more shrill, increasingly desperate, destructive, blatant, partisan, and racist lies Trump is telling to undermine the nation’s legal system, and democracy itself, in an effort to save himself - by any means necessary.

By the way, Rep. Hinson did herself no honor with her statement. She simply recycled the old, partisan, Republican talking points left over from Trump’s previous indictments earlier this year, pouring partisan gasoline on Trump’s firestorm of criminality and betrayal of democracy.

This country - and our democracy - are in crisis. It is a crisis the likes of which America hasn’t seen since the Civil War.

But Iowans in Congress have been too frightened to say anything to protect democracy from Trump’s assaults. They repeat Trump’s talking points. When the choice is between Trump and America, they stand with Trump, even when his lies and actions undermine democracy.

The political cowardice of Iowa’s congressional delegation is an embarrassment, a long lasting stain that won’t soon disappear unless they start speaking up.

History tends to remember moments like this.

To the extent they’ve said anything at all about any of Trump’s indictments, it’s been to throw democracy - not a life line, but an anvil - as it splashes about in the Potomac River fighting for dear life. Trump wants people to believe his prosecution is driven by politics. It is not. It is driven by his many crimes for which he is being called to account. Iowans in Congress surely know this, but they play along with Trump. They repeat Trump’s lies.

Mr. Rogers, on his “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” television show, used to tell little kids that in times of trouble, “look for the helpers.” Democracy, in trouble like never before, has no “helpers” in Iowa’s congressional delegation today.

There are no profiles in courage there, either. Profiles in fear? Yes. Profiles in courage? No.

I don’t know who it is, exactly that Iowa’s Republican congressional delegation fears.

Is it Trump, the current front runner for the 2024 Republican nomination who also happens to be the leading Republican in the “race” to receive the most criminal indictments before the Iowa Caucuses take place. (He’s got a rock solid lock on the latter, by the way. None of the rest are even out of the starting gate on that measure.)

Is it Republican voters?

It’s probably both, which is a very sad commentary on the car wreck that is today’s Republican Party.

I worked in politics and in Congress for decades. I “get” not wanting to jump out front and criticize a former president of your own party, but this is different. Trump tried to overthrow our government. He launched a violent attack on the Capitol that left at least seven people dead. Trump’s demolition derby against America, the Constitution, and democracy needs to stop. It is far too destructive, both in the short term and long term.

If Iowa’s congressional Republicans can’t call that out, and can’t work to re-direct their party’s conversation back to reality, to the rational, and to the legal - what can they be counted on to do to preserve and safeguard our democracy?

Is it all just about politics for them? At this point, it appears it is.

Iowans in Congress need to show some courage and character - and frankly, some patriotism, too. They need to speak up. Not with partisan boiler plate, but with some “tough love” talk for their fellow partisans, and for Donald Trump.

Iowa Republican elected leaders need to lead, not cower.

They need to call out Trump’s lies, not enable them. They need to publicly reject his racist dog whistles. Most importantly, they need to share their confidence in our legal system and tell their fellow Iowa Republicans we all need to let the legal system work. If Trump has done nothing wrong, he has nothing to fear. If he broke the law - well, don’t Republicans self-advertise themselves as the party of “law and order?”

It’s time to start walking that walk, folks.

The upcoming Iowa Caucuses give Iowa Republican leaders - and Republican caucus goers - plenty of leverage to help lead their party out of the mess Trump created for them. If they have the courage - and if they choose to use it - they have the power to change the conversation in Iowa and in the nation about Trump and, in doing so, free their party to look to the future, rather than remain mired down in constant litigation of one one man’s past and his crimes.

Simply call Trump out for what he is, or at least push back against the destructive lies he tells in an effort to save himself.

The party of Abraham Lincoln - a lawyer known in his day as “Honest Abe” - now stands for lying, law-breaking, bigotry, and the destruction of democracy in America, thanks to Donald Trump.

Will Iowa Republicans, especially elected leaders who are Republicans, use the platform the Caucuses give them to move the party past Trump, past losing and past constant litigation, and into the future?

After all, there are 331.9 million more people out there in America beyond Donald Trump.

Barry Piatt on Politics: Behind the Curtains is a weekly column that is part of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative. The Collaborative links some of Iowa’s best thinkers and writers directly with readers to help fill the gap left as many of Iowa’s traditional newspapers cut back on opinion, analysis and even reporting on a wide range of topics. Please review the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative columns listed below and consider subscribing - either for free or with a paid subscription - to help ensure that readers continue to have access to informed and thoughtful opinion, analysis, commentary, and reporting. Your subscriptions, especially paid subscriptions, are what makes this effort work and allow these columns to be available.

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