I, like many others, voted for Trump in 2016. At the time, his platform more closely lined up with my values and beliefs. However, I believed that Trump had little chance of winning the election. I was wrong.
By sometime in 2017 I had become a Never-Trumper. Since then, my decision has been validated many times due to what transpired over the rest of the Trump presidency. I considered Trump’s character and suitability as it pertained to my own moral compass, but my decision was based on far more than that. I came to believe that Donald Trump is a dysfunctional demagogue, and through his actions, not fit to be President.
I am not affiliated with any political party. I don’t have to declare a party in order to vote in Washington State.
(This post was originally published on January 27, 2021)
Here is Why I Oppose Trump.
Donald Trump ran as a populist, and led as a plutocrat. He is a narcissistic liar, crook, and thief.
He never had a grand plan. He was remarkably uninformed and resisted new information that went against his conceptions and instincts. He changed direction at the drop of a hat, leaving his administration reeling.
Trump never listened to his advisors, and was going to do what he wanted. He would listen to their advice only if it would benefit or suit him. Loyalty to him personally was his priority. He preferred to ignore any kind of process that went through experts. His staff had to work around his impulses. He wasn’t interested in assessments or options, and was usually unprepared. It made everything difficult for everyone.
President Trump believed that the Attorney General and Justice Department’s role, rather than being separate to maintain integrity, was to serve him and carry out his wishes. This created a troubling dynamic as things unfolded during his administration.
And then, after Trump lost his re-election, he basically threw his party under the bus. Proposing a $2,000 stimulus amount was an effort to make himself look good … not so much to help people …. at the expense of his party that ideologically had never supported that large of a stimulus. Anyone that didn’t plug into his false narrative that the election was stolen, or anyone validating that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the election, was a traitor dirtbag, plain and simple. Not to mention how he treated Vice President Pence, who spent his term advising frustrated officials to “stay the course.”
He challenged any norm, law or institution. He’s never been called out and shamed for anything he says or does. He has incredible instinct and self-preservation. Although I’m not a Twitter user, one had to live in a bubble to not be aware of his endless Tweets, many of them divisive, counter-productive, and untruthful. And never does he ever take personal responsibility.
Pandering to his base and not considering the welfare of the American People. This is what a demagogue does. Calling public servants human scum? Calling journalists “enemies of the people?” That is a term that Stalin used to condemn millions to death. All of the border wall talk and his inflammatory anti-BLM rhetoric was disturbing to me. This was further proven to me by the way he preferred to communicate with his primary audience. He chose social media … largely Twitter and Facebook. He could then watch TV, and then tweet some rambling comment to create his own news.
“The Never Trumper Republicans, though on respirators with not many left, are in certain ways worse and more dangerous for our Country than the Do Nothing Democrats. Watch out for them, they are human scum!”
President Trump Post on Twitter – October 19, 2020
The press conferences faded away, and then largely stopped. He enjoyed speaking to large crowds (again, of his followers). He could charm them with his disjointed complaints, political muses about what he’s accomplished, and mini-rants … no carefully prepared and articulated thoughts about what he planned to do about a particular issue (such as COVID 19 or a second term). Also, he could say whatever he wanted to charm his audience, without any interference by media reporters (those “very dishonest and Enemies of the People”).Why didn’t he call a press conference after January 6? Every local and mainstream news outlet would have covered it. That would have accomplished MUCH, even to his followers. After all, he is the leader of the Free World. But nope.
Cozying up to world leaders who were not our allies. It is well known by those that worked with him that Trump admired the control that Putin (in particular) had over his people. Key leaders such as Putin, Xi of China and Erdogan of Turkey lied to Trump and played him. And his meetings with North Korea dictator Kim were a joke and ended up accomplishing nothing. Trump loved being flattered. In contrast, he disparaged our allies. It’s considered that these dictators were hoping for four more years of Trump. I believe this.
Contributing to the Departure of Facts. Many chose to support the good things they felt President Trump did. But not without having to listen to his lying about how our elections were rigged by Venezuela. Contradicting epidemiologists and medical scientists with false and misleading information was not good leadership.
Conspiracies and alternate realities are causing harm to our society. We can’t move forward together in such an environment, and I believe this is a threat to our democracy. It’s bad enough when the media spins the truth. But we need more from our elected officials. They are servants, first and foremost . . . servants not just of one party, but of all their constituents. Realizing this is also understanding why so many people voted for him in 2016. He came across as being fresh, new, and apolitical. But during his presidency, Trump fanned the flames and further fractured our country.
He owed us more.
Some use the argument that the Democrats have been trying to get Trump impeached since he was elected. And many would agree that this is true. But I couldn’t use that argument to defend decisions he has madeand things that he has done.
Griping about the Media Hoax. Any loser has grievances. But Mr. Trump griping about the media bias was like griping about his biggest asset. Having the “right enemies” made him President in the first place and they would have served him even better during a second term. He ranted about 2016 election conspiracies, and continued to do so throughout his presidency. And he got some help from the media. Saying an election was unfair is the same as saying an election was held. Elections are unfair. Campaigns lie about each other. The media plays favorites. Partisans wiggle the rules in their own favor. Trump chose not to prevail in the world we actually live in, so the blame starts with him. Complainers do nothing but divide.
The Russia Collusion and Ukrainian Gaslighting Strategy. It actually played out rather brilliantly for him. However, entering his third year in office, he could be heard beating back what he called “the most damaging attack on a modern president ever,” even as some of his administration’s policies were beneficial to millions of Americans. How about having some discipline in order to expand his base and win fence-sitters?
I do not believe that Ukraine was behind the 2016 election irregularities. I do not believe that a staff member of the DNC (who eventually was murdered) leaked Democratic party emails to Wikileaks. Russian hackers did it.
The way Trump demanded a “loyalist” in the position of Attorney General, and how he publicly berated Jeff Sessions after he (Sessions) recused himself from the investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, or any other matters related to the 2016 presidential election, convinced me that he believed that the Justice Department should serve him, not the people.
Ukraine is not an adversary. Russia is. Attorney Rudy Giuliani promoted the negative energy between Russia and Ukraine, which influenced Trump’s attitude. All of this played into Russia’s hands. Russia loves it when responsibility can be deflected off them and onto another country like Ukraine. And then Trump places a foolish and unnecessary call to the Ukrainian President, turning the story back to himself. Shut Up!
Trump and our Allies: Trump was misguided as he presented the fallacy that America could “make it alone in the world.” Our relationships with NATO, The Middle East, South Korea and Japan needed to be maintained. He never accepted this belief, no matter what advice or council he received from the National Security Council.
Foreign Aid: I disagreed with many of Trump’s disparaging remarks regarding aid to foreign countries. I can consider the idea that America does more than its share in upholding international order, but this does not mean that I can support an America First, self-interested approach to foreign aid.
Americans overwhelmingly reject the idea that U.S. aid policy should be governed by self-interest rather than altruism. Asked, “If you had to choose which countries should get U.S. aid, which of these would you select as the most important?” just 9 percent chose “countries needed as trade partners,” 29 percent chose “countries important to U.S. security,” while 61 percent chose “countries with the poorest economies.”
Steven Kull, Brookings Institute (Monday, July 31, 2017)
The Pandemic. Trump was about as lucky as one can get when he was confronted with the pandemic outbreak. It came in the fourth year of a presidency that was going well for many Americans, including those that felt left behind by the Obama economy. I was hoping for some leadership from him. During the onset of the pandemic, I listened to all of his press conferences, as well as those of the Washington and California Governors. Trump eventually pulled back from his medical scientists, claiming the stage for himself.
“It came from China,” which in a departure from his predecessors, Trump portrayed as a threat that previous administrations had too long appeased. Any other campaign would have seen the advantage, adopting a strategy that didn’t include dismissive and distracting ad-libbing. Although his comments regarding China did contain some truth, the Optics were everything to a nation bewildered by the pandemic. He failed miserably through his lies and refusal to follow science and public safety guidelines. He also participated in the conflation of the apolitical Coronavirus and the Economy. Eventually, even masks became politicized.
As long as COVID 19 is a salient issue, it’s going to affect how people view the leadership.
This quote sums it up best:
His Administration’s Covid-19 response did have some positives, such as mobilizing private-public efforts for testing, PPE and vaccines; and preventing a financial meltdown in March. His main failing has been inconsistent rhetorical leadership. He has undersold the virus risks and oversold his own achievements when what the public has wanted all along is the candid reality. This is no small failing in a crisis.
Woodward’s Non-Revelation,(Editorial Board: September 10, 2020) Wall Street Journal.
Trump wields too much power in Congress and his supporters let him get away with it. The decisions made in prior administrations that led to his having such power hopefully will be re-examined during future administrations. Just because the media outlet reports something early or in error and they’re called on it does not mean they are corrupt or biased. Maybe they actually made a mistake. But he would go into a full-blown narcissistic tantrum declaring corruption and using all sorts of other divisive language.
Early in 2021, President Trump was at it again on the eve of Georgia’s Senatorial runoffs. Georgia’s Secretary of State had become a pariah to those on the right. If Republicans didn’t instantly suspect Mr. Trump himself leaked the phone call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensburger, if they didn’t realize he could be perfectly happy with the GOP losing the Senate as long as his chosen narrative dominates, they still don’t know Trump. It is ALWAYS about Trump.
Nothing good ever happens in a mob.
The Capitol mob event that occurred on January 6 validated all of the fears and concerns I had regarding Trump.
My view is that knowledge of past history allows us to conceptualize elements of the present that we might otherwise disregard and to think more broadly about future outcomes.
I believe that time will prove that the vast majority of those that stormed the capitol were Trump supporters. They believed that the election had been rigged, and therefore stolen from Trump. I also believe that they (peaceful and otherwise) were encouraged and energized by Trump’s words. He had no intention of discouraging them. I can’t think of one thing in defense of his actions.
No one was forced into breaching security or entering the capitol building. Each person should be held accountable, regardless of their “group identity.”
Trump encouraged them, Trump professed his love for them, Trump didn’t send in the National Guard to stop them. Whoever they were, Trump claimed them.
What’s Next
If Joe Biden is a terrible president, then I guess in four years I’ll be saying, “Man, this guy sucks.” But I won’t ever, EVER look back with longing for the the days of Donald Trump. Praise God that he wasn’t re-elected. But the voting was close …. he had, and still has, lots of supporters.
Leadership requires a leader worth following. Political ideology is what’s currently running this country. There is too much pandering to the ideologues and the demagogues. The Democrats appear to be fractured into the fundamental Democrats and the progressives. Right now, it appears as if Joe Biden is attempting to appeal to a broader base of Democrats and wishes to provide a semblance of calm to our country. Trump appeals to his base of ideologically driven populist followers, and not to the governing base, which had come to see him as a disaster. So, I did not vote for Trump and instead voted for Biden. And now I can sit back and relax.
The existential question for Republicans, and perhaps for America, is whether Trump America — animated by the likes of Newsmax + Rush Limbaugh + Tucker Carlson + Parler (or whatever replaces it) — eclipses the traditional Red America in power in the coming years.
The Republican Party is splitting into two, starting with the relatively small Never Trumpers breaking off in 2016, and joined four years later by a new slice of establishment (governing) Republicans repulsed by President Trump’s post-election actions.
Now, more than ever, is the time to read and reflect: our nation is rethinking politics, free speech, the definition of truth and the price of lies. This moment — and our decisions — will be studied by our kids’ grandkids.
What Sources Formed my Thinking?
I listened to what Trump himself said during press conferences and interviews. I always listened to them in their entirety and never relied on op-eds.
The Wall Street Journal, BBC, NPR, and local Seattle station KIRO (news only).
Podcasts: The Politics Guys, BBC Coronavirus Daily Update, The Lawfare Podcast, Coronavirus: Fact VS fiction (Sanjay Gupta)
Axios on HBO GO
The book Rage by Bob Woodward. The content is largely based upon 17 on-the-record interviews with Trump himself.
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis. Released in Fall 2018, it solidified my concerns regarding Trump.
I found the following books enlightening (although I didn’t necessarily agree with everything I read):
- The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton
- Still Standing by Larry Hogan
- Undaunted by John O. Brennan
- A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig
- Disloyal by Michael Cohen
- Fear by Bob Woodward
- Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump
Following Up: 2021 Podcasts and News Updates
DHS Warning: Domestic Violent Extremists! (Lawfare Podcast – February 1, 2021)
The following individuals discuss the DHS Warning issued on January 27: Carrie Cordero, former counsel to the National Security Division at the Department of Justice and senior associate general counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI; Elizabeth Neumann, former deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of Homeland Security and assistant secretary for threat prevention and security policy at DHS; and Nick Rasmussen, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
A Mom and Small Business Owner on How She Ended Up at the Capitol on January 6, and Fighting Against Covid Lockdown (Megyn Kelly Podcast – Monday, February 1, 2021).
Yes, Trump Colluded with Russia. It was no hoax. A new Treasury Department Report connected a straight line from the Trump campaign to Russian intelligence. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, gave several troves of polling data and campaign strategy in 2016 to Russian Intelligence Officer Konstantin Kilmnik, a former business partner of Manafort’s in Ukraine. Kilmnik then turned that data, which included information about swing states, over to the “Russian Intelligence Services” for use in their online disinformation campaign to help Donald Trump. Manafort originally promised to tell prosecutors what he knew, but reneged after President Trump dangled a pardon at him. That pardon was granted before Trump left the White House–completing a successful cover-up. But now we have confirmation of what has been obvious to anyone not in denial. Trump’s campaign did provide direct help to Russia, and Russia used it in its campaign to get Trump elected president. (Source: Philip Bump, the Washington Post, THE WEEK (April 30, 2021), p. 12.
Rudy Giuliani has been under investigation due to his questionable business in Ukraine. Announced on April 28, 2021 by various media: Federal investigators carried out a search warrant at his home and office, to accomplish seizure of electronic communications. This has advanced the criminal investigation.
The Book Premonition, written by Michael Lewis. It was released in early May, 2021. In it is factual information regarding Trump’s early handling of the pandemic. It validates much of what I had already heard and read.