I was raised in a Republican home. My family had traditional Republican values. I grew up believing in smaller government, fiscal conservatism and the notion that if you work hard, it paid off. You’d get ahead. Actually, anyone who worked hard enough would get ahead. I admired leaders like John McCain, a war hero and lifelong public servant. He not only held the values dear that I wanted to see in any president, but he lived them: integrity, honesty, service, and care for others.
I was a Republican, and honestly, I didn’t really question it. Until Trump.
The Republican party today has changed, and its values are no longer aligned with what I believe. I have changed, too.
I find the news hard to process. The Pentagon plans to livestream an execution, Trump struck a deal involving Russian diesel while Putin’s government is reportedly helping Iran target American forces, public pressure on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to capitulate, and an ICE officer firing shots into a car with a five-year-old child in the back seat.
At the same time, too many Americans are struggling to afford gas, groceries, energy and healthcare, while money and attention are spent on vanity projects and deals where the president and his family and wealthy allies appear to benefit.
For me, this goes beyond disagreeing with a president or disliking a particular policy. It’s comes down to values. And I know firsthand what it means to reach a point where the party you’ve identified with no longer reflects what you believe.
I was a Republican. I left the party when Trump changed what it stood for. Today, I’m a Democrat because that party is now the one that champions those principles that I’ve always wanted my government to uphold.
I was reminded of those values this weekend when I attended a Democratic rally in Yardley.
At the rally, one speaker talked about leaving the Republican Party. I recognized what she was feeling. The cruelty, the lies, and the corruption no longer reflected the values I believed the party represented.
But that message was still alive in the Democratic officials who spoke at the rally. Madeleine Dean, Bob Harvie, Eileen Hartnett Albillar, and Josh Shapiro—each offered a very different tone from the noise and chaos that seem to come at us from every direction these days.
They described a country “by the people and for the people.” They spoke about the everyday concerns that shape people’s lives: the cost of food, gas, and energy; ensuring access to healthcare; affordable, high-quality education; decent jobs; the dignity of every human being; thoughtful regulation, including of AI; and fair and safe elections.
What struck me was the focus on actions that could make a real difference in people’s lives. They’re the things that determine whether families can make ends meet, whether people can access the care they need, whether communities can thrive, and whether future generations have opportunities to succeed.
Although there was criticism of the opposition, it felt less like an exercise in outrage and more like an accountability check: What is our government doing to make a difference for people? What are they delivering?
All I can say is, it was … hopeful.
Hopeful because the conversation was about a vision for the country and the everyday needs of its people. Hopeful because, amidst all the division, there were reminders of what government is supposed to do: serve the people it represents. All of them.
READ: How Trump Is Driving America Toward a Civil War by Punishing His Political Enemies
I know some Republicans are uncomfortable with what they see happening in their party but aren’t ready to cross the aisle. For me, identifying with a party for so long was part of my identity.
If you’re questioning whether your party still represents you, consider trying this: go to an event for the other side. Listen. Ask questions. Compare what you hear with what you believe. You can even attend rallies for both parties. You don’t have to agree with everything you hear, and you don’t have to decide overnight.
But don’t let a party label make the decision for you.
Which party is speaking to your values and the future you want for this country?
After a long journey, that answer for me is clear. I believe we need to find our way back to decency, accountability, and a government that puts people at the center of its decisions.
I still believe that, for the vast majority of us, we have far more in common than this administration would like us to believe.
But common ground doesn’t mean standing still. Sometimes, it means having the courage to reconsider where you stand and then doing something about it.
