Why Donald Trump should never be President again

I know that many of you may still be undecided as to who you should vote for as President in the upcoming election. But here are a few truthful facts you should consider before you finalize your decision:

Donald Trump is a 78 year old mentally impaired demagogue who is only interested in promoting himself and other wealthy Americans. He has little real desire in elevating the interest of middle class Americans.

As previous President his taxation policies included substantial reductions for the wealthy (including himself), for American Corporations; while offering little benefit for working class American families. These tax cuts led to over 8 million dollars of deficit added to our national debt. This is the single largest deficit increase by any single administration in the history of our country!

His foreign policies overall were a disaster. He alienated our longtime allies including threats of pulling out of NATO and NAFTA ( The latter being a longtime agreement between our neighboring trading partners- Mexico and Canada.)

He cozied up to foreign dictators, including his “bromance” with the nut in North Korea and his fawning over Russia’s Vladimir Putin and others (which he still does). So called “Populist Strongmen” dictators were the focus of his attention because he envisioned himself as one.

Trump completely bungled domestic policies including the fight against the Covid Pandemic. During the height of the pandemic he suggested “injecting bleach into our veins to cure the disease.” One of his top advisors was a quack doctor (Dr. Atlas) who had no experience in epidemiology yet recommended that we allow rampant spread of disease to take place so as to establish “herd immunity.”

Over one million Americans died of Covid during his administration. Schools were lost. The economy was devastated. Yet Trump boldly claims, “we were better off economically during his administration”(just another one of his big lies).

His immigration policy was a sad joke, His solution to the immigration influx at our southern boarder was to “build a great beautiful wall” and Mexico would pay for it.” He built less than 500 miles of wall (along a 1200 mile boarder) while diverting funds earmarked for the United States military. (And, Mexico did not pay one Peso for construction of the wall.)

And he separated thousands of children from their families and imprisoned them in detention centers in the great state of Texas. Many of these young traumatized children have never been reunited with their families. This was Donald Trump’s immigration policy. A policy to intentionally intimidate poor migrant families so that they would be fearful of migrating to the United States- fearful of pursuing a safer and brighter future.

He demonized immigrants from Mexico and Latin American countries calling them “rapists, murderers, criminals” and other derogatory labels. Using Nazi propaganda he stated “they poison the blood of our country.” He recently characterized them as possessing “bad genes.”

I remind you, my family, just like most families in America, are descendants of immigrants. Immigrants who came to this country in search of opportunity for themselves, for their children and for generations of their families to follow. He barred immigrants of Muslim faith as well as people from non-white dominated countries. He even referred to some African nations as “shitholes.”

On numerous occasions, Trump has dishonored those brave Americans who have proudly served and given their lives while defending our cherished freedom – our military service men and women. During the Vietnam War, he had his father employ the services of a podiatrist to write a letter claiming that he had “foot spurs” that exempt him from military service.

He also dishonored the memory of a true American hero and former Presidential candidate, John McCain. McCain, a naval aviator was shot down over Vietnam and suffered for numerous years in captivity in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” – a brutal Vietnamese prison.

One June, while attending a D-day ceremony in France, at a cemetery of fallen U.S. soldiers, he referred to them as “suckers.” Most recently, Trump undertook a photo op stunt at a sacred military section of Arlington National Cemetery to supposedly honor the Marines who were ambushed by the Taliban during our withdrawal from Afghanistan. He then used unauthorized photos and videos of this event to promote his current election campaign. That was done even after he was forewarned by cemetery officials that such actions were forbidden.

He is quick to blame the Biden administration for the “botched Afghan withdrawal and death of our Marines.” However, he forgets that at the time of his administration he, Donald J. Trump, (the great deal maker) negotiated the withdrawal with the leaders of the Taliban , while completely excluding the legitimate leaders of the Afghan government at that time. The botched withdrawal was set up by Donald Trump!

He panders to racists repeatedly, including white nationalist, white supremacist and similar hate groups. While he completely ignores the clear and present danger they represent to our nation’s security. During a torch-lit Nazi style march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which peaceful demonstrators where violently attacked by white supremacists, Trump responded “that there were good people on both sides.” Prior to the Capital Insurrection, he called out to the Proud Boys (and other racist white supremacist group) to “stand by” to raise hell at his command. And they did!

Donald Trump constantly and repeatedly breaks the laws of our nation. Most recently, he was convicted on 34 counts of subverting the 2016 election by paying hush money to a porn actress with whom he engaged in a sexual affair, knowing that the revelation of the affair would have had a negative impact on his electability.

Prior to that, he lost several court cases including one against the state of New York. In that case he was fined $250 million for fraudulently overstating the value of his properties while attempting to secure mortgage financing; while at the same time, understating his income tax filings. His former chief financial officer is now serving time in prison.

His “fixer” attorney, Michael Coen, has already spent time behind bars on behalf of Trump. Many of his close associates have also spent time in prison including one of his advisors, Steve Bannon, who is now in prison. (Remember a person is judged by those with whom they keep company.)

He still faces three more pending criminal trials (another 56 criminal counts) including a trial in Georgia for election interference. (He tried to pressure Georgia election officials to “find over 11,700 more votes” that he needed to win in that state).

A Washington, DC trial awaits him for the insurrection he caused following his loss to Biden in 2020. (Hundreds of his loyal insurrectionists are now serving time in prison as convicted felons.) There is also a pending trail in Florida in which he broke the law by removing highly classified Presidential documents to his Florida home whereupon he boastfully showed those documents to unauthorized individuals, He then lied and obstructed Federal officials during their repeated attempts to recover the classified documents. Bottom line: Trump is a criminal who should spend time in the “Big House” (jail), & never again in the White House!

Donald Trump, in the words of the San Antonio coach Greg Popovich, is a “habitual pathological liar!” During his 4 -ear administration, independent “fact checkers” found over 30,000 occasions in which he outright lied or distorted the truth.

During the last four years, he has continued to propagate “the big Lie” that he did not lose the 2020 election. That the election was “stolen from him,” in a fair election. Even during his recent “victorious debate” with the ailing President Biden, fact checkers cited nearly 30 outright lies by Trump. (He just can’t help himself.)

In over 200 years of our nation’s history, Donald J. Trump is the only former President to be impeached twice by Congress. He is the only defeated President on record to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power and instigate a violent mob insurrection of the United States Capital while Congress attempted to officially certify the legitimate election results.

This insurrection led to the deaths of one insurrectionist and 8 capital officers, and nearly to the hanging of Trump’s own Vice President, Mike Pence, who bravely refused to comply with his charade.

Trump’s mental stability is highly questionable. During his current Presidential campaign he cannot stick to the issues, even at the constant urging of his campaign advisors. He rambles on about how he is a victim of the “corrupt judicial system, of the media,” etc., etc., etc.

He spews dark rhetoric about how America is “going to hell” under the “ultra-liberal Marxist Democrats.” He resorts to juvenile name calling and nasty ad hominem personal attacks, such as questioning the racial integrity of his opponent (“when did she become black”).

He is mentally incapable of ever being trusted to serve in the highest office of our nation again. Even in the middle of his first reign as President, some six years ago, members of his cabinet, publicly expressed concern about his mental faculties. They seriously discussed invoking the 25th Amendment of our US Constitution.

Essentially, the amendment allows the Vice President, along with majority of the members of the President’s cabinet (or Congress) to declare him “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Just imagine if those officials, who worked closely with him, then considered him mentally unfit to serve at that time, how can we think he would be more mentally capable as nearly an 80 year old authoritarian want-to-be dictator now?

Recently, numerous Republicans, including his vice president, several of his top advisors and over 200 of his former administration officials declared him unfit to ever serve as President again. They did so publicly in a recently published letter. These are former government officials who worked closely with him in the West Wing during his ever chaotic administration.

The turnover of top administration officials during his presidency was unprecedented. The included numerous Chiefs of Staff, heads of the Justice Department, Secretaries of State and various advisors. Many of these important officials spoke about Trump’s mismanagement or wrote scathing books regarding these matters. His first Secretary of State, Rex Tillison, even referred to Trump as a “moron” upon leaving his administration.

I could go on and on citing numerous other reasons and examples as to why Donald Trump should not ever be elected as even the county dog catcher than the President of the United States of America.

However, the bottom line is this: character counts! Character counts over everything else in our elected officials. You may not agree completely with the policies of Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, but recognize, she is a highly accomplished person of impeccable character. (A wise man once stated “that character is destiny.”)

Please, as you proudly cast your important votes for President, vote for someone who will ultimately make us all proud.

Michael Popovich