The crucifixion of Donald Trump

By Shari Goodman

Last summer, when Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president of the United States, many political pundits and those in the Beltway assumed he was a candle in the wind that would surely flicker out within a short amount of time. But much to their surprise and dismay, not only did his campaign not wither away, but with each passing month he gained momentum.

Alas, 14 downed candidates fell by the wayside, and only two viable ones remain standing in the original long line for the GOP nomination – Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. With approximately three and a half months till the GOP convention in Cleveland, the "Old Boys Club" in the GOP, along with their intellectual elites in the media, are running scared. The GOP establishment is so fearful of a Trump nomination that they held secret meetings, including one in Sea Island, Georgia, to plot the derailment of a Trump nomination.

While Trump was asked to sign a pledge of commitment to the GOP, thus eliminating an independent run, the GOP in shameless hypocrisy broke its commitment to Trump by using smear tactics and attempting to wrestle the nomination away from him should he fall short of the 1,237 delegates needed.

Attacks on a leading Republican presidential candidate are to be expected from the left, but vicious attacks from the conservative movement and from fellow Republicans are an entirely new low unlike anything I've seen in my lifetime. From the first debate in which Fox's Megyn Kelly's initial question, not a question as much as an attack on Trump, to the pro-Cruz super PAC's crass ad of a naked Melania Trump (taken nearly 20 years ago during her modeling career), the war against Trump has been relentless and unjustified. For example, Rosie O'Donnell attacked Trump, which provoked a response – and Trump's response was against O'Donnell, not against all women, as contended by Megyn Kelly.

Every conceivable insult has been thrown his way by those who seek to stop the Trump train. He has been labeled a racist, a bigot, a woman hater, a liar, a narcissist, an Islamophobe and has even been compared to Hitler. The organized left and its front groups, Black Lives Matters, MoveOn, CAIR, and Socialists of America, have been given the order to disrupt and shut down Trump rallies throughout the country. Through eyewitness accounts, it is the leftist agitators who shout, scream, use violence and get in the face of Trump supporters. And yet, it is Trump who is blamed for these attacks by an anti-Trump cabal in the media, by the "Never Trump" adherents, and even by his fellow Republicans. Instead of denouncing the Alinsky tactics employed by the left, Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz jumped on board and shamelessly used the opportunity to distinguish their candidacy from Trump's in an effort to curry favor with the electorate.

It can be said that Trump, too, has relented to name calling and shaming, but it is always in retaliation. He doesn't throw the first punch, but when punched, he punches back. It is that very characteristic that has earned him followers. After years of abuse by our current anti-American president who has denigrated this country, unfortunately with GOP silence and inaction, Americans are seeking someone who will elevate and restore America's greatness and exceptionalism.

White middle Americans have had no representation for the last two decades. They watched silently as the jobs they once held were shipped overseas. Jobs that are rightfully theirs continue to go to illegal aliens in construction, plumbing, gardening, trucking, hospitality, etc. Since payments to illegals are often made under the table and since income taxation is not an issue, the hiring of illegals has become advantageous for many employers. Thus, it is American citizens who can no longer compete with aliens who have no right to be here. Along with illegal entry come the alien criminals who have raped, robbed and committed murder in sanctuary cities funded by our tax dollars. Sanctuary cities for whom? Was San Francisco a sanctuary for murdered victim Kathryn Steinle while out on a walk? Was Los Angeles a sanctuary city for Jamiel Shaw, murdered in cold blood by an illegal?

As we look around we ask, who is looking out for us? Who is permitting entry into our country of countless Muslims who adhere to a complete system of governance that is the antithesis of our constitutional republic and values? Who indeed is representing us? Who has our back?

It is long past time that we, too, had representation – and Donald Trump holds that promise. He states he will close the borders, build a wall, re-establish our sovereignty, renegotiate trade deals with China, Japan and Mexico, bring back jobs to the United States, halt Islamic immigration, rebuilt our military and take care of our vets. If he only accomplishes half of his promises, it will be more than anyone else in Washington has accomplished in decades. Yes, he may not be a classic conservative, but his stated policies are. Thus, the attacks against him by fellow Republicans are never about his policies. They are almost always ad hominem attacks upon his character and personality.

The crucifixion of Donald Trump is a desperate attempt by the left to halt the threat posed by Trump to reverse Obama's socialist/communist agenda. The war against Trump waged by the GOP oligarchy is a despicable, insidious attempt to maintain its control. The GOP as it currently stands operates under corrupt cronyism and backroom deals on behalf of Wall Street lobbyists and at the expense of the American public.

It will take a strong patriot to stand up for America and restore its former greatness. Trump has America's back, and many Americans instinctively know it.

Shari Goodman is a political activist, educator and journalist. Born in Germany, she was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a grateful American.