Elected to Lead, Chose to Run

As Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” barrels toward passage, Republicans retreat from the battlefield—when what we need now is backbone, unity, and the courage to fight back.

Guest article by Michael Cohen

There’s a saying I’ve come to live by, especially after everything I’ve been through: when the pressure rises, you find out what people are really made of. Some rise to the occasion. Others fold. And then there are those who simply walk away.

Right now, we’re watching a political moment unfold in real time that demands courage, clarity, and a commitment to country over career. Instead, what we’re seeing is a growing number of Republican lawmakers quietly choosing the exit ramp—announcing they won’t seek reelection in 2026 rather than face what they fear most: a primary challenge from Trump and the MAGA base.

Let that sink in.

The battle over the so-called “big, beautiful bill”—the centerpiece of Trump’s second-term domestic agenda—is barreling toward its conclusion. Today, the Senate is deep in the weeds of a vote-a-rama, a chaotic but crucial process where lawmakers pile on amendments in a last-ditch effort to shape or sabotage the legislation before it heads back to the House. It’s a marathon. It’s messy. And it matters, because what’s in this bill will ripple across the lives of millions of Americans.

Let’s be clear: this legislation is no ordinary budget package. It proposes deep, structural cuts to programs that people rely on—Medicaid, food assistance, housing subsidies. We’re talking about the basics here. Essentials. Not luxuries. And yet, the bill is being marketed like a Fourth of July firework—loud, dazzling, and wrapped in patriotic branding.

And while all this unfolds on the Senate floor, something just as important is happening off it: Silence. Hesitation. Resignations.

Republican Senators and House members—some of them longtime institutionalists—are quietly opting out of reelection. Not because they don’t care, but because they’ve calculated the cost of standing up to Trump’s influence in their party, and they’ve decided it’s too high.

That’s a dangerous precedent.

Look, I get it. The politics are brutal. Challenging Trump in a primary, even on policy, almost guarantees a barrage of attacks, smear campaigns, and the MAGA machine breathing down your neck. But that’s the job. That’s what public service requires sometimes: standing firm, especially when it’s hard.

Choosing not to run may seem like a dignified retreat, but it’s also a form of surrender. It’s saying, “I’d rather step aside than fight for what’s right.” And at a moment like this—when the stakes couldn’t be higher—that’s not good enough.

This is a time when we need voices in the GOP to stand up and say: We can do better. That fiscal conservatism doesn’t have to mean cutting lifelines. That patriotism isn’t about branding a bill—it’s about protecting the people who need their government most. That real leadership is about making the hard calls, not just the popular ones.

And for those of us watching from the outside—not just as commentators, but as citizens—this is our fight, too. Not in the halls of Congress, but in how we show up: in how we vote, how we talk to our neighbors, how we push back against disinformation and demand better from the people we elect.

This Substack, this community—it’s just one of many places where that energy lives. Where truth still matters. And where strength in numbers isn’t just a slogan, it’s the strategy. We grow louder when we stand together. We grow stronger when we refuse to look away.

So while Trump may want this bill on his desk before the fireworks go off on Friday, we still have time. Time to pressure lawmakers. Time to speak out. Time to remind every senator and representative—regardless of party—that people are watching. And that we remember who fought, and who folded.

To the Republicans still on the fence: don’t confuse fear of a primary with political reality. Standing up doesn’t make you a traitor to your base. It makes you a leader. And if enough of you do it together, you won’t be alone. That’s the lesson. That’s the opportunity.

Strength in numbers isn’t just for Democrats. It’s not just for progressives or communities like this one. It’s for anyone who believes the future of this country shouldn’t be dictated by fear, by silence, or by walking away when the stakes are highest.

This isn’t the time to exit. It’s the time to engage.

Because if we don’t stand up now—for each other, for the vulnerable, for the truth—then we’re leaving the fight to those who are more interested in political survival than public service.

And that’s not a future any of us should accept.

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