I agree with Rep. Chris Stewart that it was unseemly for Democrats to cheer and clap after Wednesday’s impeachment vote. Whether you support impeachment or not, it was a sad day for our democracy. However, I must vehemently object to Stewart’s statement from the House floor: “This vote is about one thing and one thing only: They hate this president. They hate those of us who voted for him. They think we’re stupid.”
Yes, many Democrats hate this president. They believe he has done hateful things. But that doesn’t mean they hate the people who voted for him. They believe Trump voters made a wrong choice. They may believe those voters were misled by lies. But that’s not hate.
When Stewart and other Trump boosters accuse pro-impeachment Americans of hating their neighbors, they’re sowing conflict. They’re creating an us-them narrative that can only sharpen the divisions in our society to the detriment of all. And what does it say about Stewart that he makes such accusation against hundreds of thousands of Utahns — a majority of whom did not vote for President Trump in 2016 — who believe the president’s actions constitute an impeachable offense? Rep. Stewart, who’s being hateful now?
Mark W. Brunson, Millville
