President Donald Trump is a national embarrassment and an American disgrace. Fueled by his massive ego, he’s driving roughshod over the American government, the American taxpayers, and the world at large.
After Trump declared that “Our country’s going to be based on merit…,” he appointed blind loyalists who pledged to destroy the departments or agencies they’d head. Their incompetence and inexperience promptly displayed itself when they invited a reporter to a chat discussing obviously classified information of an impending military attack. Trump, however, downplayed a monumental security error as a “glitch.” In other words, he was never interested in merit, only obeisance —the better to rule with, my dear.
To bulldoze the rest of the government, Trump appointed Elon Musk to bypass the ineffectual cabinet and indiscriminately fire thousands of federal employees. Consequently, government services to taxpayers have been compromised, government oversight has been blinded, and Trump’s cabinet has all the power of a hand puppet. In short, Trump has eliminated all government accountability for his planned, lawless reign.
Trump’s blatant disrespect for the rule of law is superseded only by his avid desire for power. In his own words, “He who saves his Country, does not violate any law.” While this megalomaniacal and delusional claim of being a national savior raises questions about his mental fitness for democratic office, more troubling for our democracy is his belief that he’s above the law.
Lest we forget his reckless rap sheet, The President of the United States is a twice impeached, convicted felon, a bragging sexual predator, a serial liar, a demagogue, and a de facto dictator, whom the Trump- packed Supreme Court ruled immune from prosecution.
To this day, he declares that the 2020 Presidential election was “totally rigged.” His idea of morality is that wining by any means necessary is right, and losing for any reason is wrong. He’s pardoned the January 6 rioters convicted of violent felonies, calling them “patriots” and “hostages.” And now he’s even considering compensating them for their criminal behavior and just imprisonment.
Trump’s second term is also a retribution tour. He has steered his Justice Department to prosecute, penalize or otherwise interfere with lawyers and officials that prosecuted legal cases against him. He’s also withdrawn security of those true patriots from his first term administration that received death threats for putting country and the Constitution before loyalty to Trump. He’s also attacked judges that rule against his illegal machinations, claiming they are “conflicted,” or “left-wing lunatics,” or “Obama judges.” He even called for a judge’s impeachment because the judge had ruled against one of Trump’s executive orders to deport foreigners without just cause.
Overall, Trump has weaponized his administration to attack anyone that expresses views contrary to his, including private industry and institutions of higher education. He has frozen or cut funds for both corporations and Ivy League schools unless they eliminate their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, a blatantly racist attack on freedom of thought, speech, and policy. He’s even attempted to deport foreign college students for peacefully protesting and exercising their right to free speech.
Amid this power rampage, it’s further chilling that Trump has said he’s “not joking” about seeking a third term in office despite the 22nd Amendment prohibition. Believing he’s above the law, Trump claims there are “methods” to get around that Constitutional prohibition. In other words, rather than enforcing the law, our President plots to circumvent it, solely to retain power.
Not content with bullying his own nation, he has shown no respect to our allies. Instead, he’s betrayed, threatened, and extorted them at every turn, whether by slapping tariffs on our closest neighbors and trading partners, Canada and Mexico; or by withholding critical military aid and intelligence to Ukraine in its defense against a Russian aggressor; or by threatening both Greenland and Panama with a U.S. takeover.
And now, Trump is carelessly driving the nation into an economic recession fueled by his massive ego, imposing worldwide tariffs that will cost American consumers thousands of dollars annually, erase the savings of millions of investors, and alienate the rest of the world, including our allies. While this move has puzzled economists who see the folly of tariffs in reducing inflation and cutting consumer costs, perhaps they have not considered that the President is not content with putting his own nation under his thumb —he wants to bring the entire world to its economic knees at his despotic feet.
This president has shown neither honor nor decency; neither integrity nor morality. He is a national embarrassment and an American disgrace. And so are we all for letting this happen. Is this a leader we want to tell our children and grandchildren they can grow up to be? How can we sleep?
Thomas Cangelosi is a retired teacher who lives in Avon.