Sen. Ben Sasse Pens Open Letter to Trump Supporters, Vows to Never Support Trump

Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) wrote an open letter to Donald Trump supporters on his Facebook page yesterday, declaring that he cannot support the current Republican front runner. Sasse did sympathize with Trump supporters, saying he understands “their frustrations” and that they have a right to be angry.

Sasse writes:

Please understand: I’m not an establishment Republican, and I will never support Hillary Clinton. I’m a movement conservative who was elected over the objections of the GOP establishment. My current answer for who I would support in a hypothetical matchup between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton is: Neither of them. I sincerely hope we select one of the other GOP candidates, but if Donald Trump ends up as the GOP nominee, conservatives will need to find a third option.

He slammed Trump, writing that the casino mogul is “relentless on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation.” He also criticized Trump’s use of the word reign and compared him to President Obama in his failure to understand the separations of powers and check and balances of our constitutional system.

He also highlighted how he was one of the more conservative members of the Senate, as rated by Conservative Review and Heritage Action.

Sasse also criticized the notion that you had to vote for a certain political party.

Now, let’s talk about political parties: parties are just tools to enact the things that we believe. Political parties are not families; they are not religions; they are not nations – they are often not even on the level of sports loyalties. They are just tools. I was not born Republican. I chose this party, for as long as it is useful.

If our Party is no longer working for the things we believe in – like defending the sanctity of life, stopping ObamaCare, protecting the Second Amendment, etc. – then people of good conscience should stop supporting that party until it is reformed.

One of Sasse’s most poignant criticisms of Trump is his disregard of the Constitution.

So let me ask you: Do you believe the beating heart of Mr. Trump’s candidacy has been a defense of the Constitution? Do you believe it’s been an impassioned defense of the First Amendment – or an attack on it?

Which of the following quotes give you great comfort that he’s in love with the First Amendment, that he is committed to defending the Constitution, that he believes in executive restraint, that he understands servant leadership?

Citing statements Trump has made in the past, Sasse then declared:

Given what we know about him today, here’s where I’m at: If Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee, my expectation is that I will look for some third candidate – a conservative option, a Constitutionalist.

Sasse also writes:

Conservatives understand that all men are created equal and made in the image of God, but also that government must be limited so that fallen men do not wield too much power. A presidential candidate who boasts about what he’ll do during his “reign” and refuses to condemn the KKK cannot lead a conservative movement in America.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Austin Petersen was the first third-party candidate to react to it, sending Sasse a series of tweets.

This makes Sasse the first senator to declare he won’t support Donald Trump. Will the trend catch on?