In case any of you weren’t aware, I am an Objectivist and have studied Ayn Rand’s philosophy for about eleven years. Objectivism has been of great value to me in many areas of my life and invaluable to my intellectual and personal growth.

However, during last year’s Republican primary and upon the election of Donald Trump, a number of high profile Objectivist scholars and intellectuals at the Ayn Rand Institute have taken it upon themselves to publish multiple invectives against the President. It’s Executive Director, Yaron Brook, has also made it a point to almost regularly berate the President on his radio program and a number of prominent Objectivists have also joined in the chorus as well.

What is shocking is that the Ayn Rand Institute and many of its scholars do not think the President has done anything of value. During his short time in office, however, Donald Trump has massively deregulated the economy (especially the energy sector), unapologetically defended Western Civilization, and he has condemned socialism using the tragic results of Venezuela’s example.

For any Objectivist, such as Onkar Ghate, to say a man is anti-intellectual or the villain of our time despite any of the above mentioned outcomes is not only ridiculous, it also calls into question the motives of the people expressing them. Instead of ARI scholars wanting Trump to be an intellectual or an Objectivist like them, they should be part of the solution by disseminating Objectivist literature and ideas rather than being insular elites.

This is not to say Donald Trump should not be criticized or is above any kind of objective observations, nor should the President be blindly revered for what he has done. However, on a number of occasions the Ayn Rand Institute has allowed scholars connected to it or who work in an official capacity to use the platforms given to them by the organization to condemn Donald Trump that act as official condemnations.

There is nothing wrong with any of these ladies and gentlemen using their own websites, books or radio programs to criticize the President. But the Ayn Rand Institute exists to communicate Objectivist philosophy and ideas. Objectivist philosophy itself is just that, a philosophy. It is not a political ideology, yet ARI scholars and intellectuals obviously seek to make Objectivism into one. By default, they become Ellsworth Tooheys in their own right complimenting the jeers of people such as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and the other parasites and leeches of the Left (such as news outlets like CNN and MSNBC).

In short, Ayn Rand Institute scholars are using Ayn Rand’s name to push their own political views while intentionally slandering the President. That isn’t just wrong, its evil.