One could perhaps have excused them their earlier indiscretions of November 2016. He was, after all, an unknown quantity, an outsider of questionable conservative pedigree. Indeed, Donald Trump had been a fairly typical New York liberal Democrat for much of his life. And he had led a less than stellar moral life. And so the pile-on at the time by National Review and others could perhaps have been forgiven, although not really, when one considered the alternative. As I had written at the time:

Do we not grow weary of the sanctimonious ones? The Never Trumpers that endlessly hector and scold, and hold themselves up as paragons of moral virtue? They display their good taste by showing contempt for Trump and his supporters. Some of them claim they will vote down ballot, skipping the Presidential slot, or vote for Evan what’s his name (McMullin). Some will write in a candidate or go Libertarian, neither of who will have any chance of winning. Other pious Republicans will even cast their vote for Hillary.

But how much more compelling is the argument today, three years later, in light of the horrendous behavior of the Left, their naked will-to-power and demonic “rule or ruin” ethos? And what of Trump, his incredible and unexpected victory in 2016, and then his very favorable performance as president and conservative standard-bearer? What accounts for the odd and self-immolating behavior of the Never Trump crowd, most if not all of them former card-carrying members of the right?

Never Trumpers go under many labels including Globalists, neo-Cons, “moderate” Republicans, RINOs, Democrat-lites, and the “GOP establishment.” Some of its better-known members include William Kristol, Mona Charen, the Koch brothers, John Podhoretz, Jeff Flake, Steve Schmidt, the Bushes, George Will, Bret Stephens, Mitt Romney, John Kasich, Gabriel Schoenfeld, Rick Wilson, David French, Max Boot, and others.

Many Never Trumpers, furthermore, are of Jewish persuasion, as I am, and supporters of Israel, as I also am. One would have thought that actions taken by the president, our modern day Cyrus and defender of the Jews, would have persuaded them.

Perhaps, it is that many of them, along with liberal associates, are part of what Angelo Codevilla describes as the “ruling class.” These are individuals in higher-level positions in government, academia, the media, think tanks, non-government organizations (NGOs), unions, non-profits, corporations, and the courts. They compose an extra-constitutional elite system, operating outside of the usual democratic mechanisms, that, in effect, run the country.

The ruling class believe themselves of superior cultural, moral and intellectual temperament; they view with disdain the unwashed living in the vast swaths between the coasts over whom they feel entitled to rule. Although superficially embracing democracy, they prefer government by experts, or, as it may occur, judges, but reject the elected branches unless, of course, they deliver the proper outcome. They are, in other words, “progressives.”

They place great faith in the “New World Order,” “globalism,” and “world government.” International bodies such as the European Union, the United Nations, and NATO are highly favored and critical to their vision of the world. They abhor primitive “tribal” notions of nationhood such as love of country, its culture and heritage, and national sovereignty. Appalled by “Brexit” and efforts by Trump to “build a wall,” they embrace open immigration and amnesty while spurning borders. Some advocate policies that can loosely be described as “invade the world, invite the world.” Some support “criminal justice reform,” single-payer healthcare, and the Paris Climate Accord and maintain that Europe is better than America. Many are not particularly fond of religion or biblical values, in particular, Christianity. Many are socially “liberal” or “libertarian” even when fiscally conservative. The Second Amendment repulses them.

It is a single class that includes Democrats and Republicans but not exactly. The Democrats are the ranking members and Republicans are subordinate. Democrats enjoy prestige and power; their media organs are dominant; they have cultural gravitas. Republicans do not. They seek acceptance and recognition, but know that they serve at the pleasure of liberal superiors.

Republican ruling class members seek to preserve their lucrative media presence, affirmative pats on the head from leftist betters, and, of course, dinner invitations from liberal friends. They do this by promoting certain foundational policies beloved by the left (particularly on immigration). In this particular era, however, they have found a far better meal ticket to ensure continued membership in this exclusive club: denouncing Trump and everything he stands for including those who voted for him. Republican country clubbers recognize that Trump is, in effect, a giant middle finger from the “deplorables” to them and their liberal cocktail lounge comrades. Indeed, it is the failure of Republicans to enact policies that they fund raise and campaign on every election cycle (defending our borders, ending Obamacare, law and order) only to abandon them once ensconced in power that drove voters to the outsider, anti-establishment Trump in the first place. It is from the ranks of the second tier of the “ruling class,” of the cowering, pseudo-right aristocracy, that many if not most Never Trumpers arise.

The so-called conservative, Holier than thou Never Trump crowd cannot abide supporting Trump, or even keep from insulting him and his many followers in the most vicious ways. They must then recognize that they are complicit in a possible Hillary presidency that will bring the nation to its knees. Although an imperfect candidate, Trump is the only one that can prevent a likely 16-year Obama-Clinton continuum that will alter the nation irreversibly. The moral and principled choice is to stop Clinton by embracing Trump. By failing to do so, Republican Never Trumpers betray the nation and the conservative cause they claim to be a part of, and place themselves alongside the vile Left who actively seek to destroy the country.

We have long been burdened by what Lenin described as “useful idiots,” referring to leftist intellectuals in the West sympathetic to Marxist socialism despite its abysmal failures and atrocities. Now we have our “useful idiots” on the pseudo-right in the form of the Never Trumpers. These pearl-clutchers and malcontents, closet socialists and soft-progressives, are every bit as despicable as the leftist followers they once decried. They cover themselves in shame.

Dr. Richard Moss is a board certified head and neck cancer surgeon and was a candidate for Congress in 2016 and 2018. He has been in practice in Jasper and Washington, IN for over 20 years. He has written A Surgeon’s Odyssey and Matilda’s Triumph available on amazon.com. Find more of his essays at richardmossmd.com. Visit Richard Moss, M.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image credit: U.S. Naval War College, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0