The fake resistance inside the Trump administration

2. Quit and join the opposition

If there is not enough internal unity among Republican lawmakers to remove Trump — say, because too many of them fear the wrath of Trump’s base — those who are still in possession of a conscience have another logical option: Resign and join the organized opposition.

High-profile resignations for reasons of conscience are usually a major political blow, while joining the opposition empowers the forces that could topple a bad leader. This is why so many political observers take umbrage at the mild criticisms leveled at Trump by Republican senators like Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, and Ben Sasse. Schoolmarmishly sighing about the president on Twitter is meaningless. If you truly oppose him, join the opposition.

This needn’t mean an abandonment of conservative principles (which Trump obviously doesn’t understand or care about anyway). For a virtuous citizen convinced that a head of state is unfit for office, alignment with the political opposition makes perfect sense. Once that president is gone, typical political competition can resume.