Trump’s presidential behavior sinks to a new and historic low (Your letters) - syracuse.com

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To the Editor;

Having arrived at the age of 71 and having written political commentary for almost 25 years, I think have some perspective on the significance of day-to-day political events and developments.

With that in mind, I regard Monday’s behavior by Donald Trump to be the most disturbing and potentially dangerous I have ever seen by a president of the United States during my lifetime. I have lived through political and cultural turmoil created by the criminality of Richard Nixon, the philandering of Bill Clinton and war-mongering of George W Bush, but nothing comes close the actual assault on our democratic form of government like Donald Trump displayed.

Admittedly, Trump’s presidency has been unlike any other in recent times. The sheer number of his lies and crude behavior are so large that it is literally impossible to remember or keep track of them all. It would take a truly dramatic and unusual action to rise above the many other serious offences to be remarkable. For example, his siding with Russian president Putin against U.S. intelligence at Helsinki concerning Russian interference in our elections or that mail-in ballots were a source of massive voter fraud were serious indications of his dishonesty. More recently, his claiming that Covid-19 was a simply a media-promoted hoax invented to politically damage him or that one should explore injecting bleach to kill the coronavirus revealed possible signs of his mental deterioration.

That said, Monday’s bombastic comments made to our nation’s governors and defiant remarks made to the American people crossed a presidential boundary and revealed a total lack of understanding of the depth and seriousness of America’s racial crisis. Further his strong-arm tactics with demonstrators reveal not only a lack of concern or compassion for the loss of black lives but poor judgment regarding how to quell such explosive unrest. At a critical moment when America needed a calm steady hand to guide and reassure our nation, Trump offered pique and worse fanned the flames of hated and division in our land.

After his pugnacious and combative remarks in the rose garden, Trump ordered a savage and tear-gas filled attack on a totally peaceful demonstration -- simply to disperse the crowd so that he could more quickly walk to and stand in front of St. John’s Church for a meaningless photo op with a bible. Seriously ... gassing peaceful and legally assembled U.S. citizens and for what? There was no justifiable emergency or reason for such brutality.

When he arrived at the church the president’s behavior became even more deranged and insincere. He was not there to pray for those who grieved or offer words of comfort to a divided nation. There was nothing spiritual about his demeanor. Indeed, his conduct was profane. He nakedly exploited the religious symbols of the Holy Bible and the historical house of worship by using them as props to demonstrate his power, as he held a Holy Bible (fittingly, upside down) as he posed for an absurd picture for the media.

In showing disdain for the protesters, Trump exposed that he lacks a fundamental understanding of a core principle of American democracy: the right to dissent with government leaders and to assemble to express that disagreement. Trump does not understand that challenging authority, rather than being a bad thing, is precisely what causes our leaders to be better and to make progress on the path to making a “more perfect union”. He doesn't get it that protest is an integral part of American democracy. He failed to address the legitimate concerns of the peaceful protesters and, instead, focused his attention on the violence. His brutal behavior towards the peaceful group exposes that he conflates protest with violence . It is clear that he views dissent of any kind as a personal threat and a subversion which must be “dominated” and suppressed with force.

In its wake, it is impossible for anyone to accurately assess the lasting significance of any media covered event. However, the immediate impression that one gets from Trump’s surreal conduct is that of an autocratic leader who lacks a sense of decency and despises democratic government. His grandiose behavior in front of St. John’s Church reminds one of Napoleon in the Notre Dame Cathedral taking the emperor’s crown from Pope Pius VII and placing it on his own head.

Donald Trump’s behavior is unsettling and confusing and leaves one at a loss for how to respond. Perhaps the Daily Beast captured Trump’s bizarre and disturbing behavior perfectly with ridicule referring to the president as Generalissimo. .

Although comical, the deadly serious observation not to be missed is this: Trump's comments and actions in the midst of America's racial crisis were not simply rough and crude. He crossed a line that divides and separates a democratically elected president from a ruthless dictator and in so doing placed America's democracy in peril. His behavior is out of control and it does not seem hyperbolic to suggest that Trump is moving toward a consolidation of executive power which makes it almost indistinguishable from dictatorial rule .The only lasting historical question to be answered is can America stop this Hitler-like take-over of America before it is too late ?

Given this worsening state of affairs every American must commit to voting for candidates who are reasonable and committed to protecting our democracy.

Michael Heath | Fayetteville

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