How far Mike Lee has fallen.
As a Republican who worked for the Bush administration, I once admired Sen. Lee’s fierce adherence to the Constitution and his devotion to democracy. He believed in religious freedom, small government, fiscal responsibility and free market economics.
But, like many in politics, his early devotions have fallen to self-interest. When the biggest threat to the Constitution in his lifetime arose out of his own party — when the sitting president of the United States took overt steps to undermine a free and fair democratic election to stay in power — Lee lost his courage.
The erosion of Lee’s principles began several years ago. When Donald Trump was a presidential candidate in 2016, it was clear that he would not adhere to Republican principles if elected. Lee famously refused to endorse Trump, citing Trump’s religious intolerance and his peddling of conspiracy theories. At one point, Lee even asked Trump to step down as the Republican nominee.
After Trump took office, however, Lee fell in line. Trump included Lee on his short list for the Supreme Court and the fix was in.
The president went on to defile Republican ideals, without eliciting a peep from the senator. Trump targeted Muslims when banning immigrants from certain countries. The size of the government ballooned during the Trump administration, adding millions of government jobs. Trump increased the federal budget by over $800 billion before COVID-19 hit. Since then, trillions of additional spending has been added. The Trump administration increased tariffs, subsidies and other forms of government intervention in the free market.
Most troublingly, Trump openly threatened clear provisions of the U.S. Constitution. He stated that children of illegal immigrants born in the United States should not be considered U.S. citizens, directly contradicting the 14th Amendment. He repeatedly stated that he should be allowed to serve three terms as president, directly contradicting the 22nd Amendment. Trump also declared that, as president, his “authority is total,” ignoring the origins of the U.S. presidency, the 10th Amendment, and the enumerated powers listed in Article II of the Constitution.
Instead of speaking out against Trump for straying from Republican principles or threatening the Constitution, Mike Lee embraced the president. This culminated in Lee co-chairing Trump’s reelection effort in Utah and campaigning with the president in Arizona.
Despite his recent support of Trump, however, many expected Lee to speak up as the president openly pressured governors, election officials and judges to defy their constitutional duty and reverse the most recent presidential election results — or as Trump pedaled baseless conspiracy theories that undercut the public’s trust in our democracy. I was among those who expected more from Lee. Instead, Lee consistently defended the president’s actions to undermine our democracy.
In the conclusion of his 2016 book “Our Lost Constitution,” Mike Lee states:
“In the United States the people always ultimately have the power to rein in, redirect, or kick out their elected representatives. ... Only we can force our government officials to obey their oaths to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.”
Mike Lee is up for reelection in 2022. Despite his early promise, the senator has proved to be a poor steward of the Constitution. When a true test of his principles arose, he chose his own ambition and self-interest over the well-being of our country and its institutions.
Utah Republicans need to choose a senatorial candidate who will defend the U.S. Constitution no matter the consequences. And Mike Lee is not that person.
Kimball Dean Parker
Kimball Dean Parker is CEO of SixFifty at Wilson Sonsini, an automated legal services provider, and director of LawX, a legal design student clinic at Brigham Young University’s law school.
