The harder they fall: How respected GOP leaders have tarnished their legacies under Trump
LINDSEY GRADOWSKI: As more states certify their election results, it is becoming clear that President Donald Trump will be leaving office in January whether he concedes or not. Leaving alongside him are Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr, two men who were once giants of the Republican party, but now are likely to be remembered as nothing more than corrupt yes men. How did “America’s mayor” end up as the guy in the new Borat movie? How did the moderate Bush-era litigator become known for destroying the Justice Department? The answer seems to be simple: they did not know how to stop while their reputations were intact. History will not treat Trump kindly, and he is taking some of his most ardent supporters down with him.
20 years ago, Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City when the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11. For years Giuliani enjoyed America’s affections, being named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 2001 and even making a strong bid for president in 2008. As recently as 2016, a Washington Post-ABC poll found that two-thirds of Americans saw Giuliani favorably. However, his reputation began to decline when Giuliani tied himself to Trump at the hip, first as one of his loudest supporters and then as his personal attorney. Coming across as bombastic, inflammatory, and borderline unhinged, Giuliani transformed into a megaphone for the President’s agenda, willing to defend the White House to any end. Following the 2020 election, Giuliani has led the charge questioning the election and attempting to undermine the electoral process, something that has not been received well by Americans. Coupled with a few embarrassing public blunders, such as his press conference at the Four Seasons landscaping (not hotel) and trouble with the word “opacity” during a court hearing, Giuliani’s reputation has nose dived from respectable politician to laughable puppet.
Similarly, Barr enjoyed a reputation as a distinguished, honorable public servant during his time as President George H.W. Bush’s attorney general. When he was chosen for the position again in 2019, many people breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Barr as a voice of reason in comparison to the more radical voices of Trump’s inner circle like John Bolton and Steve Bannon. However, during his time in office, Barr has taken a hardline stance on the expansive power of the Executive branch, backing up any action that Trump takes and arguing that the President should have almost limitless power. He has taken steps to downplay the Mueller report, removed a State’s Attorney General for investigating Trump, ordered law enforcement to disperse a peaceful protest for a photo op, and worked to justify both cover ups and pardons for Trump’s allies. It is perhaps fair to say that Barr is more well known now than he was before the Trump era, but that is not the end goal of any true public servant. Rather than being remembered fondly by a few, Barr’s legacy is deteriorating into an example of how an attorney general should not behave.
Interestingly, Giuliani and Barr seem to have both jumped off a cliff for Trump, but for different reasons. Giuliani could not resist the chance to get back in the spotlight. Even when he was at the height of his popularity, people noticed that he was milking his fame for all it was worth. As Joe Biden famously quipped during a presidential debate, “There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence — a noun, a verb, and 9/11.” When presented with the opportunity to get back into the spotlight, Giuliani could not say no, no matter the cost. Barr, on the other hand, seems to have been motivated by a genuine desire to serve. However, his deeply held belief in the power of the Executive office has warped his perception of his position. Barr was prepared to do anything and everything for the man with the title of “president,” no matter how outrageous, effectively rendering him a glorified lackey. In recent days, Barr has begun to distance himself from Trump, disputing his claims of widespread voter fraud in the November election. However, many see this as a step too little too late for Barr to find redemption.
The names of Rudy Giuliani and Bill Barr are certain to go down in the history books, and likely not for the reasons they would like. Both men enjoyed long, respectable careers in the government, and were set to retire before the era of Trump. Yet, neither one could resist the draw of returning to Washington. And under Trump, both men proved they were willing to act immorally to satiate the President. Once honorable legacies have been tarnished by corruption, scandal, and the peddling of vile policies that will harm our nation for years to come. If there is one lesson we can learn from these men, it may be that it takes much longer to build a reputation than to destroy one. After all, these two men were giants — and the bigger they are, the harder they fall.