To the Editor:
Donald Trump is unfit to be president. This is not a new nor notable statement. He has amply demonstrated throughout his term that he has neither the intellect nor character for the job. He is a habitual liar who distorts facts to suit his narcissistic ends while valid criticism is deflected by citing crackpot conspiracy theories such as QAnon or the imaginary Deep State. His failures are many.
Trump has conducted a chaotic foreign policy that has alienated allies while displaying deference to authoritarian leaders. In the face of overwhelming intelligence, he denies that Russia continues to influence our election processes in his favor. He was impeached for an attempt to extort the president of the Ukraine for his own political benefit. He betrayed our Kurdish allies to the Turks and Russians after they had endured over 10,000 casualties in the fight with ISIS.
Trump has falsely claimed credit for an economic expansion that was well underway when he took office. He and his Republican cronies enacted a tax cut that they claimed was for the benefit of the middle class; in reality, it provided 80 percent of its benefits to corporations and the rich. His muddled tariff policy has raised prices for American consumers while failing on his promise to repatriate manufacturing capacity.
At a time when thousands have taken to the streets to protest racial injustices, Trump has chosen to divide the nation with inflammatory rhetoric that has incited violence rather than healing.
When faced with crises of natural origin that are beyond his ability to explain away with a conspiracy theory, Trump’s inadequacies have been laid bare. Tragically, the president lied about the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic while presiding over an incompetent effort to contain the virus. The result has been thousands of unnecessary American deaths accompanied by Depression levels of unemployment. He has largely been silent regarding the climate change induced forest fires and hurricanes that have ravaged the American west and south.
Trump’s ineptitude and immorality is beyond question. Yet he would not have been able to carry out this carnage without the sycophancy of Republican legislators. They have acted more like a cult supporting their master rather than a political party in a democracy. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the Republican Senate’s hypocritical support for filling the Ginsburg vacancy on the Supreme Court prior to the election; in 2016, the Republican-controlled senate stonewalled Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland using the rationale that new Supreme Court judges should not be confirmed in an election year.
In a healthy democracy, it is natural for opposing political parties to have policy differences. These differences provide the basis for discussion, debate and good faith bargaining but they should always be subservient to the promotion of civic virtue and the common good. When the common good is superseded by attention to the agenda of a self-aggrandizing, narcissistic and inept leader such as Donald Trump or to the mere preservation of the power of the Republican party, democracy is threatened. For this reason, both Donald Trump and his Republican sycophants must be removed from office in November.
Robert D. Russell, Ph.D.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Robert:
You’re absolutely right. Trump’s literal American carnage could not have happened without the connivance of the Republican Party. Unfortunately, historical precedent suggests they’ll never be held accountable, even if there’s a full Democratic sweep.
The Editor