If the events of the past few days have shown us anything, it’s that there is very little that could be considered “crossing the line” for the GOP’s new face, Donald Trump.

His not-so-thinly-veiled assertion that U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel could not be counted on to do his job with impartiality, due to his being “Mexican” was equal parts appalling and idiotic.

For the record, Curiel is not Mexican. He’s an American-born citizen to two legal Mexican immigrants. He was born in Indiana. Trump and his cult members can twist it any way they’d like, but it doesn’t change one iota of the facts.

This isn’t even the first of Trump’s verbal atrocities. He’s a bottomless well of the absurd and profane. There are few groups he hasn’t set out to demean and insult. The only question remaining at this point is, who will he attack next, and how bad will it be?

It’s not like we can hope that he’s learned a lesson and will never speak out inappropriately, again. Recent history has shown us the folly of that way of thinking.

Neither can we trust that his words and the behavior of those who are members of his loyal cult, the Branch Trumpidians, will not have negative effects on Republicans and the conservative movement.

Every vile caricature the left has ever launched against Republicans is being acted out for the entire world to see. The media personalities who have helped to get this man where he is bear much responsibility for the coming fall.

May God have mercy on their souls for what they have so eagerly imposed on an entire nation of people, in order to benefit themselves through ratings.

Looking beyond the media hype machine that made a reality TV huckster and dirty businessman our nominee, however, much can be said about those politicians that threw their lot in early and stood by this walking nightmare. Also, those who ran against him, dropped, and then decided to endorse him over the other remaining candidates, either of which would have been a world better choice, cannot be held unaccountable.

To those candidates I say: What were you thinking? Where is your sense of duty and national pride? You can’t believe he’s qualified, nor is he right for this nation.

I can only imagine that there were promises, or at least some indication that for their loyalty leading up to the nomination, there would be some personal payoff. Men like Dr. Ben Carson and Governor Chris Christie, who could have made a stand for principle and backed anyone else, but didn’t. To you, I say you reap whatever horror follows, due to your mercenary nature. You fooled a lot of people for a long time, but now the mask is off and we see you.

Then there are the others, and this is what truly rips at the soul. After the battle for the nomination was over, the dust cleared, and with blood still on the battlefield, like a conquered army, one by one, otherwise consistent conservative voices and party stalwarts laid down their arms and surrendered the fight “for the good of the party.”

Notice I said, “good of the party” and not “good of the nation.” There’s a difference.

I know how dire the situation looks. We are trapped between Scylla and Charybdis, as the spirit of our forefathers cry out from the grave in deep distress over what has become of this grand experiment called America.

For those battle-weary conservatives and statesmen who have fought the wars, done the work, and contributed in the best way they know how, I say “Thank you.”

If you are now endorsing Trump because he won the nomination “fair and square,” or because you want to respect the system and honor your pledge, I say this:

Turn back. It’s not too late. Turn back and say you made a mistake. Your loyalties to a party should never come before your loyalties to this nation, and even if your only true argument for supporting Trump now is that he’s not Hillary, it’s an amazingly weak argument, when faced with reality.

Every indication is that Trump will lose in glorious fashion in November. The rot to the GOP’s reputation began long before Trump, but the rise of Trump caused the cancer to metastasize at an increased rate.

A Trump win in November is a national loss, just as surely as a Clinton win would be. There is nothing about Trump that should cause any comfort, even if it’s just fleeting and vague.

Some who have previously endorsed Trump are beginning to see the folly in voting for a man, simply because he sports an “R” beside his name.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has quickly regretted his recent endorsement of Trump, calling his statements about Judge Curiel “textbook definition of a racist comment.”

Senator Lindsey Graham also towed the party line and endorsed Trump, but is now calling on others to withdraw their endorsement.

Even Senator Marco Rubio, while not directly withdrawing his endorsement, said of Trump’s words, “I don’t think it reflects well on the Republican party. I don’t think it reflects well on us as a nation.”

On a personal note, my heart was broken when former Texas Governor Rick Perry gave a vociferous endorsement to the orange-hued charlatan, even after being the most forceful voice against him in the past year.

With all due respect to Governor Perry, who I still admire and appreciate deeply, and every other Republican workhorse who feel the party requires you try to repair it from the inside, I have to ask you to search your conscience. Take it to prayer and fasting, if you must, but think about what you’re putting on the line.

When this is over, win or lose, it is more than your reputations that have been put at risk. Trump is the Tar Baby nominee. You will not easily extract yourself from the vile comments he utters forth with regularity. The gestapo tactics of his cult, threatening those who oppose him with bodily harm and utter ruin, you will be linked to that, as well. Silence implies consent, and the longer you let your name be linked with him, the more entangled you will become, until all the good you did for the party and the conservative movement is lost in the haze.

There is a time to lay down on a wire to save your brothers-in-arms. Now is not that time.

Instead, speak as a true conservative and patriot, stand for what is truly right, which is inextricably linked to what is morally good, and be the voice that conservative citizens still feel safe to turn to, when the time comes to rebuild the movement.

We need you. We need you to represent those of us who want reasonable and qualified representation, that has nothing to do with misogyny, racism, and reality TV.

We need you to fight for the down ballot. There are still good candidates running for other offices. Lend your efforts to those lesser battles, because the checks and balances installed into our system are more important now than ever.

Most of all, we need you to be the leaders our nation needs, even when it seems our society no longer deserves you.

Sometimes that takes a bold move against the pack, but doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing.