There have been many Republicans, if not very vocal ones, who have criticized Donald Trump and the GOP’s support for Russia. That support culminated in the ouster of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. McCarthy had proposed moving forward with a spending bill that included more support for Ukraine, in order to avoid a government shutdown.

But the problem runs deeper than simply purse strings.

Trump has an abiding connection with Russia, says one prominent Republican. Stuart Stevens, the chief strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign, had plenty to say in a statement on Saturday:

Today the party that once was the most consistent antagonist of Soviet Union/Russia is the home of the large and growing pro-Putin element of American politics. [Biden] is in the role that represents the best of America: leading a coalition to fight tyranny and genocide.

If Ronald Reagan were president today, he would do the same. If you care about liberty and the defense of freedom, if you believe it is wrong to stand by while thousands of children are kidnapped and a tyrant sends an army of rapists and murderers to prey on the innocent, you have one choice in this election: support [Biden].

After having begun by saying that Russia had helped elect Donald Trump in 2016, Stevens wrapped up by declaring “There is no neutral position on confronting an evil unlike any we have seen since WW2. To do nothing is to help the evil spread. Stand with freedom. Stand with human dignity. Stand with Ukraine.”

Stevens had appeared on CNN in September and said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was wrong about the Republicans who secretly dislike Trump. He thinks they could easily voice their concerns, while McConnell insisted they couldn’t.

The problem for Republicans is that if they do bring up their issues with Trump, they risk fracturing their party and losing power. Unfortunately for them, their party is currently broken, and it’s essentially Trump’s fault.

If the whole system was broken, you would see things like McCarthy’s ouster coming from Democrats as well. You would see government shutdowns when Democrats controlled the House (and therefore spending). You don’t see it on both sides, though.

It is a breakdown of the GOP, period. And watching Trump — who isn’t even President anymore — use that splintering to strengthen his own position and garner more support for Russia is disheartening at best and un-American at worst.

In this battle for democracy, @ruthbenghiat has been a clear voice of truth. Was honored when she read an early copy of “The Conspiracy To End America: Five Ways My Old Party is Driving Our Democracy To Autocracy,” and wrote:

“As a former Republican strategist and media… pic.twitter.com/VE71EWqCJM

— Stuart Stevens (@stuartpstevens) October 3, 2023