If a Democratic president had done even a fraction of what Donald Trump has done, Republicans would be screaming for impeachment hearings.

Imagine the reaction from Republicans if Barack Obama or Joe Biden had run for office with 34 felony convictions and a trail of bankruptcies. Or if either tried to overturn a presidential election and incited a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol.

What if a Democratic president talked about suspending constitutional rights, deployed federal forces into states over governors’ objections, or bypassed Congress’s constitutional authority over war powers or federal spending?

Republicans would call it tyranny.

What if a Democratic president worked to strip health coverage from millions, or replaced independent civil servants with partisan political operatives, or used the DOJ to go after political opponents?

There would be wall-to-wall outrage on conservative media and immediate calls for investigations.

Yet Donald Trump has done all of this and more. And Republican leaders in Congress remain smugly silent.

Closer to home, Rep. Glenn Thompson fills the “bad news” section of his newsletter with partisan talking points. But when it comes to the conduct of a Republican president Thompson’s outrage conveniently disappears. Apparently, Thompson can’t be bothered to learn about what is really happening in this country.

The problem isn’t just Donald Trump. It’s the willingness of Republicans to excuse and accept behavior they would condemn instantly if a Democrat did it.

The hypocrisy of the Republican Party is astounding. And a threat to us all.

BOB POTTER

Boalsburg

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom