Dear Sen. Leahy, Sen. Sanders, and Congressman Welch: Thank you for all you are doing to stand up to Trump and Bannon’s dangerous agenda for America. A few days ago I wrote an email urging you to obstruct and resist Trump’s agenda in every way you can. As predicted, the Democrats’ attempt to delay confirmation hearings for Cabinet nominees simply resulted in Senate Republicans changing the rules and confirming nominees without input from the Democrats.
It is becoming increasingly clear to me that this is exactly what Trump and Bannon want. They want to increase the divide between Democrats and Republicans as much as possible, so as to weaken any resistance to their agenda and to allow them to continue consolidating power at the highest level. As long as Republicans continue to see this as a conflict between Republican governance and Democratic governance, they will continue to side with the Trump administration. 
However, the true danger here is the weakening of our democratic principles and the consolidation of power at the highest level. The Trump administration is not, in fact, a Republican administration. It is a white nationalist administration that is seeking to destroy the stability of our government and our country. Putting Bannon on the National Security Council while demoting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence while the country is reeling from the Executive Order on travel and refugees is just one example of the way that they are systematically weakening our democracy and consolidating their power.
I am coming to believe that the only way we might stop the disaster that is heading our way without violence is to create an unusual alliance between Democrats and Republicans to stand up to Trump and Bannon together. We have to help the Republicans see that Trump’s actions are not to their benefit either and that our whole country and way of life will suffer dramatically if this continues.
I know that there are a few Republicans who have spoken out against Trump’s and Bannon’s actions. Perhaps we can start with those who already have concerns to try to build an alliance of lawmakers who will stand up to Trump and Bannon. We have to stop treating this administration as if it is a normal Republican administration and start treating it as what it is: a white nationalist administration that is seeking to become a dictatorship. That is a threat to all Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike.
We must somehow put aside partisan differences to unite against this dangerous administration. We don’t have to look too far back in history to see where this is leading if Bannon’s plans for the Trump administration continue unchecked. But we can also use history and President Lincoln’s example to show us that the solution may be the formation of unusual alliances to stand up to this threat. Thank you for all that you do for Americans.
Amy Graham
Middlebury