Dear Governor McCrory:
Two weeks ago, you stated that you would support Donald Trump as the GOP nominee for president if he won North Carolina’s primary. You did so even in the face of overwhelming evidence that would lead anyone with an iota of decency to conclude that Trump is manifestly unfit to be dog catcher, let alone president. In so doing, you effectively spat in the face of fair-minded North Carolinians on both sides of the aisle–including myself.
If that wasn’t bad enough, you maintained a deafening silence during the disgraceful events that took place at a Trump rally in Fayetteville. During his speech, Trump seemed to wish for a return to the days when protesters at political rallies were “treated very, very rough.” As one protester was being escorted out of Crown Coliseum, a Trump supporter cold-cocked him with a forearm shiver. Later, this thug let it be known that if that protester came to another Trump rally, “we might have to kill him.”
You have also remained silent when Ann Coulter said she would like to see more of this sort of thuggery at Trump rallies. You remained silent when Trump himself hinted that his supporters may riot if he goes into the Republican National Convention with a plurality of delegates and is ultimately denied the nomination. And you remained silent when Scottie Nell Hughes said that riots wouldn’t “necessarily be a bad thing” in such circumstances.
Governor McCrory, with your silence on this, you have brought at least as much shame and disgrace to our state in the space of two weeks as Jesse Helms did in 30 years. You may be acting as the nominal leader of the North Carolina GOP in supporting Trump. But you seem to forget that as governor, you are supposed to speak for ALL of North Carolina. Any governor with even an iota of decency would have said that such violent behavior and rhetoric is unacceptable. But you didn’t.
What makes this even more outrageous is that you didn’t even wait for Charlotte to approve new legal protections for LGBT people before threatening to have the General Assembly repeal it. Considering that North Carolina is a battleground state that will see dozens of visits from both major-party candidates, if a major-party candidate who encourages and condones violence doesn’t make your priority list, I not only have to question your priorities, but also your moral compass.
You claim that Charlotte’s new ordinance could potentially endanger public safety. Where was your concern for public safety when a protester was attacked completely unprovoked? And where was your concern for public safety when Trump threatened that there may be riots if he doesn’t get the nomination? Are you that blinded by partisanship that you aren’t willing to speak out on subjects on which there is NO OTHER SIDE?
I know that in your upcoming reelection campaign against Roy Cooper, you’re going to try to rebrand yourself as the consensus builder you claimed to be as mayor of Charlotte. After this, if you try to pass yourself off as “McCrory the moderate,” this Charlottean is going to have to seriously consider filing a false advertising complaint.
There are certain matters in which partisanship has no place. If your support for Trump has so blinded you that you are not willing to condemn his outrageous behavior, then you should get out of the way in favor of someone who will.
Sincerely,
Darrell
