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The Republican National Convention will take place here in Milwaukee on July 15. As a cheesehead and lifelong Republican, I should be elated.

Instead, I dont know what to feel. I voted for Donald Trump before, but this time our nominee is a convicted felon. The Republican Party I grew up with stood for law and order. We prided ourselves on being the rule of law party and championed personal accountability. Now, all of our morals have been replaced with lies.

And all of these lies stem from Trump.

Those lies started well before my breaking point, which began when he denied the results of the 2020 election. Every election has some degree of variability. Mistakes happen. But no one has found any proof that there was enough fraud to change the results of the election in even one county, much less the whole country. When Trump knowingly lied to his supporters that the election was stolen, he put poll workers and other election officials in danger. Just look at Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss in Georgia, who recently received a large settlement for the harassment they faced.

Trump didnt create these lies out of ignorance or misunderstanding. He did it out of spite. The country rejected him, and his fragile ego couldnt handle the outcome of democracy.

Instead of being a man, taking the loss on the chin and moving on, he fought tooth and nail to convince his supporters that the election was rigged. He pressured secretaries of state to find votes on his behalf. He targeted poll workers. And he galvanized the fears of his most susceptible voters. He even tried to fake having won states he lost, for which a bunch of his campaign staff were just charged here in Wisconsin.

Trumps lies culminated on Jan. 6, 2021. He abused his vulnerable supporters. They were scared and felt they were cheated, and all of Trumps lies over the previous months erupted into one of the darkest days in our countrys history.

Trump knew how they felt, and he used them to his advantage. He riled them up, directed them to the Capitol and watched in glee as they stormed one of our nations most sacred buildings. He wanted them to stop the peaceful transfer of power to allow him to stay in office. And he didnt do a damn thing to stop them.

All of the accounts of Trumps actions that day are horrifying to even consider. Upon hearing that his supporters were chanting, Hang Mike Pence, and went so far as to construct a gallows, he suggested that Mike Pence deserves those chants. His advisors, friends and family had to beg him to call off the mob.

I made a testimonial video for Republican Voters Against Trump, a group working to stop the former president from returning to office, where I publicly declare that I will never support Trump. I go over my feelings there, but I have a plea to Republicans like me: Take a stand against Trump.

We need to fight for our party, and I urge you to get involved. The Republicans I grew up with respected America and its traditions, and it would have never occurred to them to try to destroy them when things didnt go their way.

As of now, I wont be voting for Biden but I damn sure will not be voting for Trump.

Ive already made my stand. I am a Republican voter against Trump. I stand with the rule of law, the peaceful transfer of power, and the institutions that make this country great. Republicans reading this, please join me. We need to be strong. We know the damage Trump will cause, and we need to do everything we can to stop it.

Make a video for Republican Voters Against Trump. Write to your local newspaper. Make your voice heard. Dont let Trump destroy what integrity our party has left.

I hope I reach at least one person like myself who will realize the lies theyve been told have done nothing but tear our country apart. Its time we reject Trump this November.

Rory Kennedy is a lifelong Republican who lives in Markesanand a participant in Republican Voters Against Trump, a nationwide campaign of former Trump voters who are not supporting him in 2024. You can watch his testimonial here.

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Opinion | I'm a Republican, and I won't be backing Trump - The Capital Times