Posted Wednesday, August 23, 2017 6:37 pm

These days, one Tweet can tell a story.

Former Cranston Ward 2 City Councilman Don Botts has been very active on the social media site recently, criticizing President Donald Trump’s response to the protests and terrorism attack in Charlottesville. He was also quick to call out fellow Republicans for not condemning Trump directly.

Well, then-fellow Republicans.

Botts announced on Twitter last Tuesday he is leaving the party he had called home for 15 years: “I didn’t realize you could disaffiliate online. In 90 days, I will no longer be a Republican. I will not be part of the problem.”

Botts, who wrote in Rubio during the election, said the decision has been a long time coming.

“I’ve always been kind of wondering if I should un-affiliate,” Botts said in a phone interview last Friday. “They always talk about moderate Republicans in the northeast as a dying breed, I feel I’m a part of the dying breed. I’m not concerned about social issues that national Republicans are. I was always uncomfortable with [Trump] during the primary.”

Botts also addressed the double-edged sword that some saw in having to choose between Trump and Hillary Clinton. He said it didn’t have to be that way.

“[Republicans] could have picked someone else,” Botts said. “They could’ve stood up to Trump. People could see what was coming. They hoped he might change his tune. He’s 71 years old. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I’ve been weighing [leaving] some time.”

The tipping point came after Charlottesville. A white nationalist rally in the Virginia City, held to oppose the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, prompted clashes between protesters. The violence escalated when James Alex Fields, Jr., drove a car into a throng of counter-protesters. One woman, Heather Heyer, was killed and several were injured.

Trump initially denounced violence “on many sides” Saturday. Botts called that statement “milquetoast.”

Trump spoke again Aug. 14, declaring racism “evil” and adding that “those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacist and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”

That stance lasted little over 24 hours, as he went off-script on Aug. 15 during what was supposed to be a press conference on infrastructure to scorn “both sides” for causing violence.

“You had a group on one side that was bad,” Trump said via the New York Times. “You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent.”

He continued, saying there were some “good people” on the alt-right and what he referred to as the “alt-left.”

Botts issued a Tweet that night, asking: “Just curious if anyone followed on Trump’s ‘very fine people’ statement with ‘could you name one?’”

“He says he’s against white supremacy and neo-Nazis and then he changes it again and said there’s fine people on both sides, which is totally outrageous,” Botts said. “Local Republicans are appeasing Trump. They don’t use Trump’s name, don’t say anything publicly about him. There’s no opposition, so why be a Republican? For me, I’d rather not be a member of the party, especially with Trump.”

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung issued his own statement last week after the events in Charlottesville, saying there is “no justification” for bigotry from white supremacist groups and calling for “kindness and empathy.” However, he never mentioned Trump by name.

“This past weekend has ripped open so many wounds for our country,” Fung said. “Quite simply we are all better than this insanity and violence. As a minority, I’ve seen my fair share of subtle and not so subtle racism over the years. It’s incumbent on those of us in the minority community to work harder and by our consistent actions over months and years, truly change stereotypes. Hashtags and vigils are not enough.”

Botts said that he “most definitely” believes Mayor Fung is against white supremacy and racism, but has trouble understanding why Trump’s name can’t be invoked.

“I think the Mayor is concerned about his election next year and I think he’s concerned about a primary and he’s concerned there are a quite a few Trump supporters in western Cranston he doesn’t want to anger,” Botts said, referencing a prospective gubernatorial run for Fung next year. “As Republicans we have to understand [Trump]’s emboldening people by sending this message. It’s important for Republicans to say this is not Republican, this is not what we’re about.”

He even Tweeted his general frustration last Thursday, saying “Funny how RI GOP elected try so hard not to criticize Trump directly, but Trump has no problem ripping GOP’ers.” He Tweeted days before that former State. Rep. Joe Trillo and current State Rep. and U.S. Senate hopeful Bobby Nardolillo, both Republicans, think Trump is “the best think [sic] since sliced bread.”

Botts cast doubt on the future of the Republican Party in Rhode Island. The House of Representatives only has 11 Republicans while the Senate carries just five. That figure comes out to just over 14 percent of the state’s 113 general assembly members.

He said, with the divisions that exist within the party, it could be tough to move forward.

“The problem has always been it’s a fractured party,” Botts, who ran for state representative in 2010, said. “There’s schisms within them. There’s an anti-Fung contingent loyal to Ken Block. It’s always been fractionalized. There’s so few representatives in the state as it is and when you’re divided into camps you won’t make any progress. They’re just going to tread water.”

It’s not just a local effect in his eyes, either.

Botts said he also sees Trump’s words having a national, long-term impact on the party as well.

“I see if this continues the way it does, Trump making it hard on state and local representatives to win future elections,” Botts said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens in 2018 and how that translates in down-ballot elections.”

Council Vice President Michael Favicchio, the only other Republican on the body when Botts was first elected in 2010, first heard of Botts’ decision from the Herald at last Thursday’s ordinance committee meeting.

“I’m kind of surprised because he's always been a conservative and he seemed OK [with the party] for so many years,” Favicchio said. “I’m at a loss.”