Republicans, be so for real. This embarrassing government is what you wanted? | Opinion

Anyone could have predicted that President Donald Trump’s second term was going to be an absolute disaster. I doubt even Republicans realized it would be this bad.

Amid Trump’s feud with Elon Musk, our tanking economy and our dysfunctional Congress, it seems that the next three and a half years are going to be rough on the country. I have to imagine that some Republican voters have buyer’s remorse but would never admit it.

I also realize that, for many Republican voters, a chaotic government is better than one that’s run by a Democrat. They would rather watch our country become an international laughingstock than vote for someone who would run a stable, albeit more liberal, government. They would rather have millions lose health care than have a Democrats in power.

I’ll be the first to admit that Kamala Harris wasn’t a perfect presidential candidate, but she was competent. She was energetic. She could ensure the country stayed on its course and continued to be a place where people felt secure. We could have had that. And Republicans in Congress would have done their job. Instead, we have this.

So, this far into Trump's chaotic reign, I have to ask. Is this really what Republicans wanted?

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President Donald Trump vs. Elon Musk. Really?

In case you missed it, Trump and Musk have gone from inseparable to enemies in a matter of hours. Musk, who was previously charged with leading the Department of Government Efficiency, has gone on X (previously Twitter) to allege that Trump was included in the Jeffrey Epstein files and whine that the Republicans would have lost the election without him.

Trump, in response, has threatened to cancel all of Musk’s contracts with the federal government. It’s almost entertaining, in the way high school drama is entertaining. If only the entire country weren’t on the verge of suffering because of it.

If Harris had been elected, I doubt she would have made a narcissistic man-child one of her closest advisers in the first place – not just because Musk endorsed Trump, but because he was and continues to be a liability. She wouldn't have created DOGE and then allowed it to be a threat to Americans. Republicans, however, were unwilling to acknowledge the baggage that came with having Musk on their side.

Now we have the president of the United States embroiled in a childish social media battle with the world's richest man. Think about how stupid that makes the country look.

Is this what Republicans wanted? Is that what they still want? Surely they knew that the Trump-Musk partnership, like many of Trump’s alliances, was going to implode. They are so scared of progressivism that they would rather have pettiness and vindictiveness in the White House.

The American economy is not doing well. You wanted this?

Trump, ever the businessman, has decided that making everything more expensive is what will make our country great again. His tariffs are expected to cost the average family $4,000 this year, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

I thought Republicans were the party of the working class. I thought they were supposed to care about grocery prices and the cost of living. But with the insanity of Trump’s tariffs, a cooling job market and tax cuts that protect the wealthy, it seems like nothing is actually getting better for the average American. Our economy actually shrank.

Again, Republicans, you really wanted this? You were so scared of a government that was slightly more liberal that you would let everything get more expensive for working families? What were you afraid of – taxing billionaires? Helping first-time homebuyers? Harris’ “opportunity economy”? It seems like none of you thought this through. Or, worse, you did.

Another element of Trumpism is the fact that Republicans in Congress seem to be fine with the way he is completely dismantling the United States government. They don’t care that his One Big Beautiful Bill Act is going to add to the deficit, so long as it’s a Republican putting us further into debt.

Some of them, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, failed to even read the bill before voting for it. Their lack of interest is so substantial that she just admitted it openly.

If Harris had been elected, there would be no need for Congress to monitor her every move (even if they’re failing to do that with Trump).

Instead, we may have seen a legislature that, while divided, was able to function. We would have had checks and balances and likely significantly fewer executive orders, none of which would have tried to rewrite the U.S. Constitution.

Once again – is this really what Republicans still want? Are they so scared of the possibility of trans people having rights or undocumented immigrants receiving due process that they would choose a government that won’t stand up to tyranny? Would they really elect a tyrant in the first place? They did, so I suppose they must be OK with all of it.

I can’t get over the fact that Republicans willingly chose chaos over stability. They would rather say they won than have a functioning government or a stable economy. They would rather see our country suffer than admit that Trump is a raging lunatic. That isn’t patriotism – it’s partisanship. They would rather give Musk billions in federal contracts than help Americans in any way.

This is what nearly half the country chose for the rest of us. And it doesn’t seem like anyone is embarrassed about it.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter:@sara__pequeno