My Take: With Trump's cult, we are way past political differences

How much longer will America slide toward the abyss? We have one political party, the Democratic Party, for all its faults, that is at least rational and sane. You very well may disagree with their political stances on various policies, but that is a far cry from where we are with the other party. The Republican Party is no longer a political party. It has become a full-fledged cult. Reminiscent of Jim Jones, Shoko Asahara or David Koresh, Donald J. Trump is now the focal point of the Republican cult.

Under no circumstances are you to question the cult leader's deity. Questioning Trump equates to instant vilification ranging from name-calling to death threats. We cannot lose the fact that we are talking about a man who once was president of the United States.

The absurdity of the cult has permeated every facet of American politics. From the federal level to local levels, America is now infested with “leaders” who still believe the 2020 election was stolen, they still believe that a secret cabal of Democrats are killing kids and drinking their blood, and that Jan. 6 was not a coup attempt. Jan. 6 to the cult is now celebrated. Their cult leader had convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists record a song so he can now play it at his cult rallies. We even have Republicans visiting these traitors in jail as if they are heroes. This is disgusting and dangerous.

The choice America faces as 2024 rolls ever closer could not be starker. Do we want a functioning democracy, or do we want a malignant narcissist back in the office for what will be a term of vengeance and mayhem? Do we want an American president who openly swoons over Putin, Xi and Kim Jong Il, while insulting our allies and openly calling for an exit to NATO?

There is no real distention within the cult. If anything, the cult is coalescing tighter at Trump's feet, the nation be damned. Those who have tried to speak logic to the mass of sycophants are scorned as RHINOs. Anyone not in the cult is fair game for violence. A party that once stood proudly with law enforcement now has the blood of law enforcement on its hands. Nonetheless, they don’t care. If Trump wants it, they will deliver. He has become their Messiah.

It doesn’t matter what crimes Trump has been indicted on, or what crimes he may be indicted on in the future. This only feeds into their warped narrative that the deep state is out to get him, and come hell or high water, that cannot happen. He is above the law.

What is comical is the cult has an entire channel dedicated to Trump: FOX News. But under their veil of absurdity, it is out there for all to see exactly what the talking heads at FOX think of Trump. They knew the election wasn't stolen, they knew they were peddling lies, and for all the deference they paid Trump on air, behind the scenes they couldn’t stand him. This, however, is not a learned moment for the mass of sycophants. Oh no, instead, they ignore the narrative, or turn to other outlets more than willing to pander to the intellectually stunted.

America cannot tolerate this crisis any longer. The choice is as simple as it is stark. We either protect America’s democracy or we hand the keys back over to a sociopathic man who has no guiding principles except feeding his insatiable appetite for praise and adoration. His narcissistic supply is being fed by the mindless mass of “Trumpers.”

With Trump's cult, we are way past political differences. We are at a tipping point. Is America willing to allow this cult to metastasize further? If so, it will be an America none of us recognize. If not, get vocal, get involved, and vote this cancer out of every office in America before it's too late.

— Todd Leva is a resident of Zeeland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: With Trump's cult, we are way past political differences