GOP must distance party from Trump

In December, I wrote that it was time for Republicans to dump President Trump for the good of the party and the country. Following the insurrection of Jan. 6, that is even more imperative. Failure to support impeachment of Trump, whether before or after Jan. 20, is tantamount to endorsing the extremists within the party.

Failure to condemn the actions of Trump and the extremists who invaded the Capitol with purely violent intent will forever associate Republicans with a threat to our democracy. How can that lead to anything other than a fracture in traditional Republican support, losing congressional and statehouse elections, and, ultimately, to the irrelevance of the party?

Better to stand for our democratic principles and take the consequences than to share in the ignominy that comes with condoning Trump’s actions and his violent supporters.

— Dave Riggs, Aptos