Standing By the Republican Party
By: David Liu
Tags: White House, Asian American, Hate Crimes, Republican Party, Conservatism

Standing By the Republican Party

Note: Drafted on the Amtrak from Union to Penn, 12/13/2020

Taken 09/29/2020

I used to say I wanted to be in the room where it happens. I was in the mailroom where it happened when I interned in the Office of Presidential Correspondence. The dozen, pre-signed photos of President Trump I swiped (with permission) from the office are still my favorite souvenirs. My least favorite are the staples presently holding my scalp together.

Last Friday noon, I took my glasses off for a photo marking my last day on White House grounds. Twelve hours later, I took another photo — of my glasses resting on my bloodied hand. I was walking back to my apartment after celebratory drinks with some former interns. Half a block past the Chick-fil-A, unfortunately already closed, I received a bearhug from behind. A nondescript male voice said, “gotcha”.

I first thought it was a friend who had caught up and was playing a prank. Then, blows started raining down from behind. I turned and swung back — but still pulled my punches. It was a prank gone too far.

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, the blood dripping down my face probably mine. I pulled out my phone and staggered to my feet, shouting — who the fuck are you? the fuck you want?

“Get out of this town. Go back to where you belong.” He calmly turned and retreated.

I remember telling the first responders that I was assaulted for my choices — for being a former White House intern. It hurt to slowly accept the truth — that I was assaulted for my identity. It is now reported that, after the Stop the Steal rally on Saturday, the Proud Boys roamed the streets looking for fights. Who is to say my Friday night festivities were nothing more than a warm-up?

I was one angry ER patient. Angry at my inability to teach my attacker a lesson (my ex calls this toxic masculinity). Angry that I had stood by our present Republican Party, only to find myself knocked down by one of its brownshirts (I call this poetic).

To my fellow Asian-American fiscal conservatives: We cannot disassociate our ideology from the practical reality that many Republicans are actively breeding or complicit to a deep-seated racial hatred. I am a registered libertarian with credentials from UChicago Economics to the Heritage Foundation to the White House. I understand why many of us lean conservative-libertarian. Yes, Republicans oppose affirmative action; yes, leading Democrats blatantly disrespect Asian American communities; and yes, the good old cemetery hill of fiscal conservatism. But neither credentials nor ideology meant a thing during my assault. Based on my countenance alone, I was a foreign invader to be vanquished.

When I furtively cast my vote for Joe Biden, I decided to put common decency before my ideology. My mother accused me of drinking the leftist Kool-Aid. This week, I was vindicated.

To my attacker: Perhaps you won our bout, but you lost the argument.

thank you: Kevin, Michelle, Philip, and Troy for their feedback

thank you: Brandon for the motivation to share this with others