I have a confession I need to atone for. In 2016, when I was still deeply in the closet and in denial living as a red-state self-hating Christian, I made the mistake of voting for Donald J. Trump for president over Hillary Clinton. Looking back on it, in light of new evidence and based on my reasoning at the time, I do not regret my decision. Let me explain.
Trump is facing multiple indictments, some at the state level, some at the federal level and he is facing serious charges in all cases regardless of classification of his crimes. But the most damning is espionage. He mishandled, to put it lightly, classified information regarding our military secrets. For that he absolutely deserves to rot in prison. But here me out. That is the very reason WHY I didn’t trust Mrs. Clinton. I didn’t trust she could handle classified documents based on her mishandling of her missing emails. Now here is the difference. She lost classified documents and was found to not have committed any crimes. Trump STOLE documents, HID them, LIED about having them, coerced OTHERS to lie on his behalf and tried to COVER it up with more lies. He broke multiple laws.
Do I defend the Trump presidency? No I do not. I lived as a journalist working in Red State Texas during his presidency. He made the general public hate, despise and mistrust news reporters. He made my professional life a living hell. I am a trans woman. He made my personal life in danger. He also put other members of my beloved rainbow community in danger. Not to mention how he handled COVID-19.
Knowing what I know now if I could go back in time I would have told myself to vote for Hillary. After all I voted for Obama before her. But I couldn’t, as a patriotic law and order loving American, entrust a woman who put our national security at risk by losing classified documents. Today I stand here facing a new conundrum. Trump didn’t mishandle documents, he out right committed treason. There is the difference. Was Hillary right about Trump? Yes but all things considered that was a deal breaker for me. I couldn’t trust her. I wish I could atone for my sins but the fact remains the damage is done. I did what I did based on my love for this country. She couldn’t be trusted. Little did I know neither could he.
Stephanie Bri 