I agree with you that silence gives consent.  It is amazing to me that more principled Republicans chose not to speak out against Trump and all that he and his campaign stood for.  It is beyond amazing to me that so little of this was addressed during the Republican primaries.
Their behavior leads me to believe that they actually wanted him to be elected.
But the other side is this:  I do not agree with you that the facts about Trump were given sufficient play.  The way that the press treated him was very similar to the way that some adults handle children who are bullies:  they say that the bullies should stop, but speak admiringly about their exploits, so that the bullies get the message that what they are doing is actually good.  I think that the press wrote this way about Trump, without making clear that what Trump was doing was not good, that this was not just another episode in a reality show.
I think that the press carries much responsibility here.