Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking another run for president, faces a staggering 91 felony charges in multiple states.

His first trial, involving a hush-money case, begins on Monday.

In an opinion piece published in USA Today on Sunday, Nicole Russell questioned the Republican response to the accusations against Donald Trump. She asked what it would take to convince conservatives that Trump is unfit to be president. She noted that some conservatives have even downplayed the seriousness of the charges, dismissing them as less important than other potential crimes.

“Donald Trump went a step further and successfully did this in different states and was charged with 91 felonies. On Monday, Trump will face his first trial in one of the cases, the now-infamous gag fee case,” she commented.

“The question for Republicans shouldn’t be ‘Is this all you have?’ The question we face should be ‘How can we convince conservatives that Trump is unfit to be president? ” she asserted.

Russell criticized the erosion of ethical standards within the Republican Party and said allegations of hush money payments and forged payments should not be dismissed lightly. She asked Republicans to consider where to draw the line and how to convince them that a candidate is unfit for office.

“This is how bad things have gotten for the Republican Party. We bargained so hard and lowered the standards so much that these charges seem tame compared to accusations of porn star hush payments and falsified pay — after all. What is it? Tax fraud? State and government interference in federal elections? Stealing confidential documents and showing them to unauthorized people?” she asked.

“This raises two vital questions that Republicans must answer. Where exactly is the line drawn? What exactly would lead us to believe that he is unfit to represent us and unfit to hold public office?”

Russell also addressed conspiracy theories that the charges against Trump are part of a nationwide plot to tarnish his image. She dismissed the theory as implausible and noted that it was unlikely that every judge would be involved in such a conspiracy.

Russell further pointed to the legal intricacies of the hush-money case, including Michael Cohen’s cooperation with prosecutors and the potential implications of linking the falsified records to other crimes. She acknowledged that some may view the allegations as insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but argued that they still do not reflect well on Trump’s character and suitability for the presidency.

The article also raises broader questions about ethics within the Republican Party. Russell questioned why charges such as hush payments and falsifying records were dismissed or considered part of a conspiracy rather than breaches of good faith.

Russell urged Republicans to reconsider their support for Trump and reflect on whether he truly represents their values. She suggested the party has other options, such as Ron DeSantis, whose leadership might provide a more positive direction.

“Republicans have spent many years looking for a better man or woman in the land to represent them. They’ve come up with some ideas, and besides entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, they’re pretty good, ” she pointed out.

“We could have had Ron DeSantis, of course, and we were just talking about the governor’s silly shoes and how he made people feel a little weird because he was embarrassing. At the same time, Florida has a great education and a booming economy Development, he deals with disasters and Disney and any conservative, but we can’t do that right now because so many of you are calling for Trump and his 91 felony charges.”