Starting with recent news and working backward

Trump, still spewing lies about a" rigged election" unless he wins, continues undermining our democracy; spreading lies about illegals voting, and continues to push the "Big Lie" about 2020. He lost. Fact.

Trump has threatened to use the United States military against American citizens and use the Justice Department to prosecute his "enemies" (Nancy & Paul Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, Mark Milley. etc., the list is long) if he is re-elected.

Trump threatens to revoke the broadcast licenses of networks that criticize him; First Amendment rights and a free press are the very foundation of our democracy. How to address those rabid supporters of the Second Amendment apparently willing to jettison the First Amendment? The Constitution does not provide for amendment shopping, it's a package deal.

Using the Adolf Hitler playbook, Trump claims immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of our country, that some immigrants have criminal DNA. “Cadet Bone Spurs” might wish to reconsider, as his grandfather Friedrich Trump, after evading conscription in Germany, came to the U.S. and made his fortune from "restaurants" with upstairs prostitution. And his father Fred Sr. was a known Nazi sympathizer and blatant racist. Facts. What is that old saying about "apples not falling far from the tree?"

More outright lies from Trump claiming FEMA and the Biden administration were denying aid to “Republicans" in devastated areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton, causing folks who need the help to refuse it because their “dear leader” has oral diarrhea and continues to spew poison and discord at every opportunity. And how to even dignify the delusional idiot ramblings of Marjorie Taylor Greene claiming “They” – presumably Democrats – can control the weather? Her new iteration of "Jewish Space Lasers"?

One truth here – Trump did, in fact, attempt to deny Federal aid to California for fire damage until he was told that many of the folks in that area were Republican voters. He had to be shown specific voting statistics before he relented. Fact.

Repeated racist lies about legal immigrant workers eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, causing death threats, school closures and fear among innocent people who happen to have skin color Trump hates; his mini-me Vance doubles down on the lies and admits that “we have to make things up” to get press coverage. Even some (but not all) Republicans are calling him out to stop the lies.

Then, at a speech in front of a Jewish organization, Trump said if he didn’t win the election it would be the fault of the Jews who didn’t vote for him – this hideous incident should be ringing alarm bells loudly and long; echoes of the past are rearing their tragic heads. Mar-a-Lago as Berchtesgaden? He even has his own Himmler, the ghoulish Stephen Miller, chomping at the bit to deport every person of color he can round up and resume his program of ripping babies from their mothers. Oy vey indeed.

Fact – there are still more than 1300 children torn from their families at our southern border who have not been reunited with relatives. As many former Trump advisers have stated, the cruelty was the point and will be even worse if he gets elected again. And to those folks holding up “Mass Deportation Now” signs at Trump rallies, get back to us when lettuce is $8 a head, hamburger is $15 a pound, and you’re pruning your own trees.

The ugly racism, vicious misogyny and ever-more-violent rhetoric is on constant display and getting worse; this is a person totally unfit to occupy any elected position ever again. Trump’s constant lies are often termed “disinformation” or "misinformation" by some of the media, but lies are still lies, facts are still facts, no matter how much some prefer not to accept this reality.

And the blatantly obvious, he is unwell – (his father had Alzheimer's) – Trump spouts gibberish, is unable to form a coherent sentence (what was that silent 40 minute swaying-to-music thingy?), refuses to debate again or do any interviews unless they are with the Fawning Folks at Fox or any news outlet that will not engage in fact-checking.

Vance sputtering about fact checking in the debate with Tim Walz was a classic, and of course the cherry on top, his refusal to acknowledge the truth of Trump’s loss in 2020. Trump lost. Fact.

And then, back in time to Trump’s start on his “road to fame with his father’s fortune,” the unconscionable termination of health insurance for his nephew’s criticality ill newborn son because he was “annoyed” that relatives objected to being cheated out of their inheritance.

Then, in 2017, that nephew, Fred Trump III, visited Trump in the Oval Office; by now his son was 20 years old but remained severely disabled and needed constant care. Donald Trump told him, and this is a direct quote – “Why don’t you just let him die and move to Florida?” Fact.

Trump doesn’t give a rats’ behind about his own family, so why would he care about yours, or anyone other than himself? Melania Trump said in a recent interview that Trump was a “family man.” Possibly…..in the same way Tony Soprano was a family man.

The crime, the grift, the sexual assaults, the endless lies, the felony convictions, the dividing of Americans, the love of ruthless dictators, the willingness to sell his office to the highest bidder – Trump is depraved, petty and dangerous, and returning him to the presidency will end our beautiful country as we know it; it’s now time to relegate him to the garbage heap of history.

And of course Jan. 6, 2021 – the violent mob sent by Trump to try to stop the certification of electoral votes for Biden, defiling the Capitol – Trump now refers to this as a “day of love.” Gosh, what a comfort to know that those dead Capitol police officers died for love.

Former White House staff, many prominent Republicans, retired generals, and highly respected judges join a very long list of those who know Trump is a danger to the country and are sounding the alarm. Retired General Mark Milley said Trump is “fascist to the core.”

He has already done pervasive damage; all we can hope is that our democracy holds and our constitution prevails.

“If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.” - Marcus Aurelius

What a concept.

Georgiana Silvestro

Robert Silvestro