Conservative talk show host to GOP: 'Stop enabling Trump'

As if he was talking about an alcoholic who drinks behind the barn and everybody knows it, conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that the GOP needs to stop "enabling" Donald Trump's behavior. Sykes was referring to comments made last week by Tennessee GOP Senator Bob Corker. In his comments, Corker stated that Trump was "sparking World War III" with his aggressive rhetoric aimed at North Korea and its despotic dictator Kim Jong-un. Sykes' point is that the GOP has allowed Trump to carry on with his rhetoric directed at not only North Korea but at anybody and everybody who he perceives as in any way adversarial or critical of his policies.

Enough is enough

For all intents and purposes, Sykes is saying that "enough is enough" in terms of the enabling of Donald Trump by the GOP. As is the case with anyone who enables an alcoholic, there comes a point where the enabler is just as culpable for what is happening as is the alcoholic. Sykes' point is that the GOP has reached this threshold, the point at which it is equally culpable for Trump's war of rhetoric against all adversaries, foreign and domestic, no matter their place of origin or political persuasion.

Just as with the enabler of an alcoholic, the enabling has to stop, as Sykes sees it. Sykes emphasized that the World War III warning from Corker involves "major stakes" and is serious.

Sykes implied that the continued enabling of Trump by the GOP has reached a point that the consequences to the nation and the world could be "devastating."

The "Mad King"

Sykes called Trump a "Mad King," which is a term with a deep-rooted meaning. The term "Mad King" evokes memories of the infamous children's story, "The Emperor with No Clothes." In that story, the Emperor is walking around everywhere and is wearing no clothes; but he does not know it.

Nobody tells the Emperor that he is wearing no clothes and the Emperor continues believing that everything is just fine.

Sykes' point is that this is what the GOP is doing to Trump. It is allowing Trump to continue his litany of dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric against others, including his own Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, without telling him to stop.

Sykes sees it as the GOP's responsibility to tell Trump what the score is and to make sure that he "tows the line" from here on out.

The "Come to Jesus moment"

Sykes stated that Trump "does not understand the legislative process," according to ABC News on Sunday. Sykes also stated that despite the fact that Trump wrote "The Art of the Deal," that he is a "terrible negotiator." He also stated that is time for the GOP to give Trump some "tough love." Lately, John McCain, Bob Corker and now Charlie Sykes have demonstrated their propensity for doing just that.