To the Editor:

Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH) recently defended Trump by asserting that “character” is not that important in a president. I never expected such a statement from an elected official. What, then is important?

Mental health? Increasingly, Trump makes rambling, unfiltered statements like telling women to “slap” their husbands around and “get the fat pig off the couch” and vote. Of late, he regularly shares profanity, vulgarities, or threats. Trump told attendees at the Al Smith Dinner for Catholic Charities that he “didn’t give a shit” about making jokes about himself. Last weekend he spoke warmly about the size of deceased legendary golfer Arnold Palmer’s genitalia (this is not normal in a mentally healthy adult). Trump said it’s “very dangerous” for Kamala Harris voters to identify themselves, because they’ll “get hurt.”

Trump told the Wall Street Journal (“WSJ”) that he wouldn’t have to” use military force against China because leader Xi “respects me and he knows I’m f*cking crazy.” He defended armed persons who shut down FEMA efforts in NC. “We have to let people know how they’re doing;” and with guns. In fact, there has been significant bipartisan endorsement of FEMA’s efforts. Trump said he would invoke a law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to speed up deportations [he has said, “It will be bloody”], “ we’re not going to play games.” But in 1798, politicians had also made it “legal to own slaves and illegal for women to vote in America.” You can’t enforce a piece of a law.

The most troubling threat is that, in a preemptive strike to inflame doubt in this year’s election, the RNC has indulged MAGA paranoia over unproven, and court-rejected, conspiracy theories of “past election fraud.” They have already trained 200,000 volunteers to be “the eyes and ears of the Trump campaign” on election day. There is an emergency phone number to report “anything suspicious.” The RNC has already filed dozens of lawsuits to make it easier to purge voter rolls, personally challenge specific voters, and allow local officials to refuse to certify the election, unless Trump wins. They have already shown that they have no problem using violence to prevail. This is not the American Way.

Women, and the men who care about them, should be alarmed that Trump (an adjudicated sex offender) aspires to be a “woman’s protector” so she will never have to think about her bodily rights again. Maybe someday she won’t have to think at all.
Other supporters dismiss Trump’s extremist propositions and passive/aggressive fallback (“it’s just a joke”) as harmless bluster or entertainment: “People get all riled up over what Trump says, but it’s just his ‘schtick.’” “Trump says a lot of things, but then says, ‘No, I’m not gonna do it.’” “He just like to rile things up.” Great, in the leader of the Free World.“ “I don’t like Trump’s character or what he says, but I like his policies.” Forget honesty and character and how Trump’s lack of these qualities represents us to the world.

MAGA appears to believe that dishonest, conspiracy-driven, despot-loving Grandpa Trump is not a danger to us. And anyway, he doesn’t really mean all his militaristic, vengeful, undemocratic, dictator-envious, and violent advocations against Democrats and traditional conservatives. “It’s just his ‘schtick.’” Dead eyes glistening, predator Putin smiles.

Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore, Ca