I am writing about Jefferson County Republican chair Steve Crosby’s comments in your story [Leader, Nov. 16] about election reactions. Mr. Cosby essentially claims that partisan rhetoric created a false impression of Mr. Trump as a racist and white supremacist.

Mr. Crosby, it was not progressive partisan rhetoric but Mr. Trump’s own rhetoric that “caused” him to tweet hateful things; those were his words, his actions when mocking people with disabilities, encouraging violence from the stage towards protesters at his rallies, his dismissal of most Mexicans as criminals and rapists, his attack on the parents of a fallen American hero Capt. Khan and, by default, all Gold Star families, his choice to bring the father of the alt-right movement and white nationalist Steve Bannon into his campaign and now into the White House, among many other incidences. Again, these were all his words, his actions.

Mr. Crosby’s claim that the discussion around Mr. Trump being perceived as racist and white supremacist is a delusion stemming from “ignorance and malice” is a prime example of people deciding that bigotry, racism, misogyny, shaming, hate speech, violence and scapegoating is an acceptable trade-off for vague promises of greatness. Mr. Crosby’s remarks serve as a horrible example to all members of this community. The values that Trump has expressed can never be OK.

Mr. Crosby, you may lead the local “Grand Old Party,” but there is nothing “grand” about the hate, racism and bigotry that you try to pass off as partisan fiction. You are part of a dangerous and divisive trend in America and you have to own that.

BRAD MACE

Port Townsend