Iowa GOP lawmaker defends Trump fans who want to secede: They want 'to preserve the principles of our republic'

A Republican lawmaker in the Iowa House of Representatives recently spoke out in support of former President Donald Trump's supporters interested in seceding the Union.

In response to an opinion piece written by columnist Reka Basu, Rep. Steven Holt (R-Ohio) penned a guest column that was published in the Des Moines Register. He expressed concern about Trump still complaining about the election he believes was stolen from him. Holt also sympathized with the 52% of Trump supporters wanting to break away from the United States.

According to Holt, those Americans have an understanding of what "America once was and what it is becoming" although he offered no specifics about that remark.

"I read with amused frustration Rehka Basu's Oct. 8 opinion piece in which she spoke of the parallel universe she felt she was living in, seemingly oblivious to the reasons that 52% of Donald Trump supporters favor seceding from the Union," Holt wrote before saying, "Rehka, those 52% understand what America once was and what it is becoming. They cherish their freedom and liberty, they understand the importance of our founding values, and they see the destruction of those values taking place before their eyes."

He added, "Almost everything about America that would previously have been thought to be unthinkable is now taking place."

The Republican lawmaker went on to share his list of complaints about the Biden administration emphasizing his grievances with the Afghanistan withdrawal to the debate over critical race theory.

Holt continued, "Rehka, the 52% see clearly what is happening to America, and while I still believe in our great nation and our ability to recognize and change the destructive path we are on, I understand why so many Americans believe that our only alternative is a reset. Put this reality together with the fact that 41% of Biden supporters favor secession precisely so they can bring to fruition that which Trump supporters so adamantly oppose, and the challenges before us become crystal clear."

He concluded, "So, 52% of Trump supporters favor secession to preserve the principles of our republic, while 41% of Biden supporters favor secession in order to destroy them."