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I have made no secret of the fact that I am not a Trump supporter. Indeed, it goes far beyond that; I consider Trump an existential risk to our country. As much as I want to think that our system of government can withstand the onslaught of another Trump presidency, I am not completely confident it can. Entering into a second term, Mr. Trump would not have many of the constraints that contained him in the second term. He would not have the need to keep enough of the populace happy to win a second term. He would also not make the mistake of having generals and other people of conscience on this staff; he has made it clear that he is going to surround himself (as he already has) with yes-men and sycophants, people who will say yes to pretty much anything he conceives.
But there is more. If you look closely at Project 2025, it calls for the wholesale replacement of the entire civil servant infrastructure, what so many on the right have come to call “the deep state.” These people are the worker bees who make government function. They have been hired and appointed under a wide variety of administrations over the years, so they span the political spectrum. I suspect there are people working there who have been there over the last 40 years, which means this population spans at least seven presidents. The plan is to replace them ALL with Trump supporters. The very thought of it is enough to make one shudder.
I was reflecting on this as I helped out at my cousin’s apartment, and came across the image you see here. It is an Air Force decal. The larger slogan, “These Colors Don’t Run” speaks to the dedication of the people who are members of the Air Force, and pretty much all of our military. But I want to call your attention to the three smaller slogans surrounding the Air Force seal. They are, “Excellence in All We Do,” “Integrity First,” and “Service Before Self.”
As I consider the person that Mr. Trump is, I find he fails on all counts. There is little sign that there is “Excellence in all he does.” The staff of Mr. Obama widely reported the attention he gave to morning briefings, and the level of preparation he expected of his advisers. He would read voluminous and detailed briefs, and have detailed questions to ask his staff and advisers. Mr. Trump is reported, by his own staff, to have insisted reports be reduced to a single page, and even then they could only maintain his attention if they put his name in the reports, such is his narcissism and vanity.
Mr. Trump does not show any sign of “Integrity First.” He has told us that he labels news items “Fake News” not because he believes they are false, but simply because he doesn’t like them. He and his children have both told us that deception is acceptable if it achieves a desired end. And deception is his stock in trade. He goes well beyond hyperbole, outright lying and repeating the lies even when there is physical and visual evidence that he is lying. This is straight out of Mein Kampf, where Hitler is clear that a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. That mantra was taken up by most of Hitler’s machine, resulting in the mass conversion of most of the German population to his agenda. We all know what horrors that produced before Hitler was finally defeated.
Do I even need to speak about “Service Before Self?” Mr. Trump did not “give up” anything to be president of the United States. His donation of his $400K was a publicity stunt, given that he cost the U.S. government over $144M to support his 298 golf trips over his one year presidency. His hotels raked in over $7M from foreign governments using the properties for government meetings and lodgings during visits to the U.S. (and other countries). Even our own government employees were pressured to use Trump properties, including the VP. The records that have surfaced do not show “at cost” pricing, and Trump properties are not the least expensive available. He never separated himself from his businesses. That Mr. Trump was closely involved with his businesses was definitely proven by the recent trial, where it was shown that he was still writing checks related to those companies while in the Oval Office. Mr. Trump wanted (and wants) the Oval Office because they give him what he wants most: money, power, and accolades. Now he also promises to use that office for the other thing he covets: revenge.
Mr. Trump does not respect the military that this decal represents. He has been reported, again by his own supporters, questioning the sacrifice of those who gave the last full measure, wanting to know “what was in it for them?” What president EVER has needed to ask that question? He has refused to be seen with handicapped military personnel because “it wouldn’t be a good look for him.” He has called POWs “losers,” saying he preferred those who were never caught. There is no respect there. There is only “what they can do for me.” Mr. Trump surrounded himself with “his generals” in his first term, a move most often seen by dictators and autocrats. As he began to see that these men and women were people of honor, and resistant to his worst impulses, almost all of those personnel resigned or were replaced. I doubt he will make that mistake again.
This is not a man who deserves to be the Commander in Chief of the greatest military in the world. This is not a man who can be trusted with that role. This is not a man who puts nation first. This is a man who puts one thing first: himself. And this is not a man who deserves your vote in November. Join me in showing Mr. Trump the door, and let him face the rest of the indictments he has been working so hard to dodge. You are not “his base,” you are “his shield.” Mr. Trump knows that you are probably the only thing standing between him and jail time. He will do and say anything to avoid that consequence of his actions. Do not throw your support to an obvious traitor to America. Heed the warning of the Founding Fathers, who feared that a man pretty much exactly like Trump would someday sway the populace and gain power.
But there is more. If you look closely at Project 2025, it calls for the wholesale replacement of the entire civil servant infrastructure, what so many on the right have come to call “the deep state.” These people are the worker bees who make government function. They have been hired and appointed under a wide variety of administrations over the years, so they span the political spectrum. I suspect there are people working there who have been there over the last 40 years, which means this population spans at least seven presidents. The plan is to replace them ALL with Trump supporters. The very thought of it is enough to make one shudder.
I was reflecting on this as I helped out at my cousin’s apartment, and came across the image you see here. It is an Air Force decal. The larger slogan, “These Colors Don’t Run” speaks to the dedication of the people who are members of the Air Force, and pretty much all of our military. But I want to call your attention to the three smaller slogans surrounding the Air Force seal. They are, “Excellence in All We Do,” “Integrity First,” and “Service Before Self.”
As I consider the person that Mr. Trump is, I find he fails on all counts. There is little sign that there is “Excellence in all he does.” The staff of Mr. Obama widely reported the attention he gave to morning briefings, and the level of preparation he expected of his advisers. He would read voluminous and detailed briefs, and have detailed questions to ask his staff and advisers. Mr. Trump is reported, by his own staff, to have insisted reports be reduced to a single page, and even then they could only maintain his attention if they put his name in the reports, such is his narcissism and vanity.
Mr. Trump does not show any sign of “Integrity First.” He has told us that he labels news items “Fake News” not because he believes they are false, but simply because he doesn’t like them. He and his children have both told us that deception is acceptable if it achieves a desired end. And deception is his stock in trade. He goes well beyond hyperbole, outright lying and repeating the lies even when there is physical and visual evidence that he is lying. This is straight out of Mein Kampf, where Hitler is clear that a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. That mantra was taken up by most of Hitler’s machine, resulting in the mass conversion of most of the German population to his agenda. We all know what horrors that produced before Hitler was finally defeated.
Do I even need to speak about “Service Before Self?” Mr. Trump did not “give up” anything to be president of the United States. His donation of his $400K was a publicity stunt, given that he cost the U.S. government over $144M to support his 298 golf trips over his one year presidency. His hotels raked in over $7M from foreign governments using the properties for government meetings and lodgings during visits to the U.S. (and other countries). Even our own government employees were pressured to use Trump properties, including the VP. The records that have surfaced do not show “at cost” pricing, and Trump properties are not the least expensive available. He never separated himself from his businesses. That Mr. Trump was closely involved with his businesses was definitely proven by the recent trial, where it was shown that he was still writing checks related to those companies while in the Oval Office. Mr. Trump wanted (and wants) the Oval Office because they give him what he wants most: money, power, and accolades. Now he also promises to use that office for the other thing he covets: revenge.
Mr. Trump does not respect the military that this decal represents. He has been reported, again by his own supporters, questioning the sacrifice of those who gave the last full measure, wanting to know “what was in it for them?” What president EVER has needed to ask that question? He has refused to be seen with handicapped military personnel because “it wouldn’t be a good look for him.” He has called POWs “losers,” saying he preferred those who were never caught. There is no respect there. There is only “what they can do for me.” Mr. Trump surrounded himself with “his generals” in his first term, a move most often seen by dictators and autocrats. As he began to see that these men and women were people of honor, and resistant to his worst impulses, almost all of those personnel resigned or were replaced. I doubt he will make that mistake again.
This is not a man who deserves to be the Commander in Chief of the greatest military in the world. This is not a man who can be trusted with that role. This is not a man who puts nation first. This is a man who puts one thing first: himself. And this is not a man who deserves your vote in November. Join me in showing Mr. Trump the door, and let him face the rest of the indictments he has been working so hard to dodge. You are not “his base,” you are “his shield.” Mr. Trump knows that you are probably the only thing standing between him and jail time. He will do and say anything to avoid that consequence of his actions. Do not throw your support to an obvious traitor to America. Heed the warning of the Founding Fathers, who feared that a man pretty much exactly like Trump would someday sway the populace and gain power.
, then I win.
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