Editor's Note: Steve Schmidt is one of the founding members of the Lincoln Project. He is a communications and public affairs strategist who has worked on several Republican campaigns, including John McCain's 2008 bid for the White House, and he is now a regular political contributor to MSNBC. On Saturday, Schmidt defined what unity is supposed to mean on his Twitter feed. MaxNewsToday has assembled this 6-tweet thread and reprinted it as one easy-to-read op-ed for our ongoing segment, Schmidt Storm. It has been edited for grammar and clarity. Unity does not mean submission to the delusions of the defeated minority that is riddled with Members who have denied the murderous evil of Parkland, lied to the country about a stolen election, which poisoned faith and belief in democracy, incited insurrection and have blood on their hands for the murders of 5 people at the hands of the fascist mob they incited. Joe Biden called for a unity of purpose. He called the American people to unify around defense of our democracy and the urgent task of enduring the unendurable suffering of the virus, as we seek to eradicate it. Joe Biden is assembling a majority of Americans in a coalition of decency and good faith. There is no definition of unity that demands compromise with white supremacists, Proud Boys, neo-Nazis, extremist militias, conspiracy loons and the cynical politicians and propagandists who incite the fringes for profit and power. That is a false unity. Unity is never achieved when virtue appeases vice. Unity is not possible between the truth and the lie. Unity is not possible between Americanism and fascism. Unity is not possible between democracy and autocracy. Unity is not possible between liberty and throwing out millions of Black votes. That type of unity isn’t just impossible, it is unwanted and rejected. The premise of questions around such unity are profoundly stupid, and the asking of them fails the American people at a time when reality and truth must reign supreme.
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