After accepting explanations as to why respected officials and ex-officials are standing on the election sideline, I—and history—are through with those excuses.

by Bob Schwartz

Here are a few of those who should come forward in these two weeks before the election. Whether it has any effect on the election we don’t know. It will certainly establish what history will want to know: which side of history were you on?

Former President George W. Bush: It is hard to know exactly what Bush 45 is telling himself as he remains silent in the face of a possible Trump re-election. He certainly doesn’t believe Trump is any good for the country. Maybe W believes his voice is not needed, and that in a post-Trump Republican Party, sane leaders who didn’t take sides will be needed. His confidence in a Trump defeat is misplaced. And in the event of a Trump victory, his name will be added to the list of those who should have spoken up but didn’t.

The Generals: The Generals, including those who have served in various civilian national security and intelligence positions, have often expressed a chain-of-command reluctance to speak out and oppose Trump’s re-election. That is, Trump is still the commander-in-chief, even if they are retired. Again, this may work on that basis, but only if they are willing to be on history’s very naughty list.

Dr. Anthony Fauci: Trump is now abusing Dr. Fauci every day, including misusing him in ads, censoring his media appearances, and just today calling him a “disaster,” who if we had listened to, would have cost us hundreds of thousands additional lives. All of that unfortunate, since without Dr. Fauci, most Americans would have no one to trust in the administration. Dr. Fauci has been at his important national work for decades, and no doubt thinks that he can do more on the inside, even if minimized and abused, than on the outside. So he walks a tightrope, issuing measured responses that keep him on the job.

Dr. Fauci is wrong. Other than his huge public respect, he is not being listened to anyway within the administration. Whether he resigns or responds in a way that demands firing, his departure will end the Trump administration. And, in the event of a new administration, one of the first things to happen will be Dr. Fauci hired back in his old position at NIH, where he will actually be listened to and do the good he obviously can.