To the Editor:

This is a reasonable question to ask now that No. 45 has been in office for two years and has had time to make good on his campaign promises. During the 2016 presidential campaign, No. 45 repeatedly said that middle class voters will “be tired of winning” because of all the wonderful things he will accomplish if elected. It is clear that the only promise he has kept is the tax cut for the rich. Any feeling of winning is impossible for middle America.

No. 45 said he knew more about ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) than the generals and he had a plan to defeat ISIS within the first 60 days of taking office. He also said he did not want to divulge those plans because his Republican presidential primary opponents would then steal those ideas. So how moral is it to keep a plan to yourself for political gain that could save American lives? Either no plan existed, or he is a traitor for not implementing that plan and thus saving American lives. You might find the term traitor offensive but what else do you call a person who says, in public, that he believes Russian Intelligence more than he believes the FBI, CIA and NSA?  If that is not “giving aid and comfort to the enemy,” I don’t know what is.
No. 45 said he would build a wall and force Mexico to pay for it. The great negotiator could not make either Mexico or his own congress support this nonsense. Republicans, and especially No. 45, deflect this dictatorial action by constantly stating the falsehood that “Democrats are soft on immigration.”  Fact: the average immigration arrests and deportations during the last two years of the Obama administration are nearly identical in number to that of No. 45 in his first two years.  Democrats have proposed border security which is based on analysis.  No. 45 has proposed a wall which, in my opinion, will serve only as a physical symbol for No. 45 to look back upon after his impeachment.
No. 45 said he would fill his cabinet with only the “best and brightest.” We too frequently see another scandal involving those “best and brightest” (the latest, Roger Stone, Jan. 25, 2019, and latest scandal, Feb 13, 2019, showing Brock Long, head of FEMA, as another of his “best and brightest” using taxpayer money for personal benefit). We went from eight years of zero scandals and an efficient government under Obama to the frequent indictments or convictions of No. 45’s associates. If you envision a government that works for you, then you must feel disgust in the “best and brightest” who have already been convicted/indicted for; traitorous acts against the USA, lying to the FBI and Congress, cheating on taxes, tampering with elections or have obstructed justice.
No. 45 said he would protect American workers. Tell that to the soybean farmers in North Dakota, Utah, Kansas and other states and to our own North Carolina pig and soy bean farmers. His ill-conceived tariffs are putting American farmers, industries relying on aluminum or steel imports, auto workers such as GM plants in Ohio, Harley Davidson factories and many other exporters out of business. In 2018, we suffered through an 18-percent increase in our trade deficit. The CATO Institute published a list in September 2018 documenting over 200 American companies who will either close or lose enough business that they must dramatically raise prices or cut labor due to stay afloat due to No. 45’s ill-conceived tariffs.

I am tired of No. 45’s inability to lead, his childish behavior, the circus he has created in our government and his ignoring the Constitution, all of which result in a loss of democracy.  America is not winning!

Peter A. Farrell, Ph.D.
Washington Park