Frank Donatelli: Trump has problems with democracy

Pennsylvania has always prided itself on electing leaders who are focused on governing and making democracy work to solve urgent problems. This has been true from the very beginnings of the American republic and the adoption of the Constitution in Philadelphia over 200 years ago.

Pennsylvanians have put the public interest ahead of ideology or personal grievance. As a Republican, I have been pleased to support such leaders as Govs. Dick Thornburgh and Tom Ridge, as well as Sens. John Heinz, Richard Schweiker and Pat Toomey. Though not a Republican, Gov. Josh Shapiro is someone who works with both political parties to move Pennsylvania forward.

Donald Trump has always had problems with governing. He loves to run for office but leaves chaos in his wake. In his one presidential term, for instance, he promised an infrastructure bill, seemingly every week, but it never happened. President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with both parties to enact this crucial legislation.

Trump promised to replace Obamacare. It never happened. He never even came up with an alternative. At the debate last month, he noted that he had “concepts” for a plan. Don’t hold your breath for a plan anytime soon.

Trump’s biggest promise by far was to enact a border wall along the U.S. southern border that Mexico would pay for. It never happened. He never came close to fulfilling this promise, despite several opportunities and bipartisan support for a compromise approach. Mexico never paid for anything. He is now promising to expel up to 15 million people if elected this time. This will never happen either. There is a bipartisan bill in Congress that would go a long way to solving the border crisis. Not surprisingly, Trump is against it.

Yes, he comes with lots of chaos. The federal government shut down for 35 days during his term. He badly mismanaged a pandemic response that ultimately cost 1 million American lives. He couldn’t even conduct a daily pandemic briefing, abandoning them after they turned into chaos.

Yes, Trump has had problems with democracy. Maybe that’s why he is ambivalent about the rule of law in America. He has threatened to prosecute his political opponents. He has advocated canceling portions of the United States Constitution. He has continued to spread lies about the 2020 election, maintaining he won when everyone knows he lost by 7 million votes. He has promised to pardon the rioters who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021, and who wanted to hang his vice president.

Just recently, we received fresh evidence in a new filing from Special Counsel Jack Smith of Trump’s involvement in the chaos of Jan. 6 and his failed attempts to hold onto power even as he knew he had lost the 2020 election.

Already hinting that he would abrogate one of his few constitutional duties as vice president, JD Vance says he would not have certified Pennsylvania’s state electoral votes last time, thus possibly disenfranchising 7 million Pennsylvania voters. Oh, Vance has also mused about a President Trump refusing to obey a Supreme Court decision.

Back to Trump, his beef with democracy extends abroad. Trump is capable of being flattered by dictators, especially the Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin. Who can forget the shameful episode at the 2018 Helsinki Summit when he told the world he believed Putin rather than his own government on the matter of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election?

In the last presidential debate, Trump refused to say if he supported Ukraine in its war of survival against Putin’s invasion. He seems unaware or uninterested in the fact that a Russian victory would place all of Europe in danger and hasten a confrontation with NATO. Ronald Reagan eliminated the Evil Empire. Donald Trump is indifferent about Putin’s drive to reconstitute it.

This is a recipe for more chaos. America has urgent problems that need to be solved. Pennsylvania has always opted for results rather than anger and chaos. It’s time for the country to finally move forward.

I have disagreements with Harris. But she believes in democracy at home and abroad. Harris will support the rule of law at home and fight for freedom and justice abroad. The choice is not more complicated than that.

Our many other disagreements will be resolved in the normal give and take of the democratic process. Both sides will win some and lose some. That’s democracy. That’s America. That’s what Pennsylvanians have always stood for.

Frank J. Donatelli is a native Pittsburgher and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. He is a former political director for President Ronald Reagan and former deputy chair of the Republican National Committee.