Donald Trump disgusts me. He is repugnant. I loathe the damage he has done to my country and its future. I have contempt for the legion of cowards and cynics who abandoned their country in a moment of crisis to seek his favor and advance their self-interest. Whether it is the depravity of Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Zucker, who whored himself to Trump for ratings, hedge fund titans like Steve Schwarzman, who bankrolled a fascist movement for one more dollar, or Lindsey Graham, whose neediness for attention obliterated his oath of office for relevance, my contempt is immeasurable.
Very well said Steve. I particularly like and agree with this part:
“I have long argued that Donald Trump is both a symptom and a cause of America’s decay. The simple truth is that no healthy democracy would ever elect such a man. A decent society doesn’t tolerate lie machines like Fox News, or conmen like George Santos in their parliaments and congresses.”
I was reminded of this like cold water splashed in my face..I’ve been so wrapped up in the damage that has been brought on the country I hadn’t thought about it much until now when it was laid out so eloquently here by you Steve..
The entire world has been watching for many years. Trump, MAGA and the destruction of America are in newspapers, tv, talk shows, trend on our local twitter etc etc.
I watched Legal AF today where they talked about the process that’s about to happen. Karen Friedman Anglifolio was brilliant. This process involves the secret service too. I ponder what will happen if found guilty. America is about to test the legal system of states & federal in many ways.
I am concerned that violent protests will happen, lives threatened and the loss of life.
The depth of my contempt for Donald also cannot be measured. He & his cronies have tested the limits of my compassion. One person reminded me of a meditation to imagine that person as a small child, a practice I have done successfully in the past. When I think of Donald as a child, I think of the kid who stole his brother’s toys & threw rocks at his neighbor. Yes, the law dictates that he is innocent until proven guilty. This also tests my limits as Donald is a career criminal & sociopath who has evaded prosecution for decades, thanks to his political donations, political power & fear of his armed & dangerous mob.
I am sorry that your family had to bear the wrath of Trump’s mob. You helped keep democracy on life support.
I think we will be surprised at the charges in NYC. Bragg has had Donald’s books for a while & I doubt he would cross this rubicon without being 150% sure he had him dead to rights.
I have been a prosecutor my entire career. I spent 27 of those years prosecuting people accused of crimes. Much of my career has been focused on homicides and serial rape cases. I have seen things so heinous they would almost certainly make most people vomit.
But no matter how horrifying the acts were or how overwhelming the evidence might be, one of the best things about being a prosecutor is that you are there to ensure the defendant receives due process and a fair trial. It is one of the most beautiful things about our Constitution - no one will be deprived of liberty without due process of law.
Donald Trump deserves no less.
One final note. The Twitterati who've been tweeting for months that AG Garland is a coward and the DOJ is corrupt for not indicting Trump quickly are, for lack of a better term, f$cking idiots. I had a complicated murder case that took 5 years to put together before we filed charges. Once charges are filed, the investigation is effectively over, and you only have one chance to get things right. Charging a former president will be the biggest case in history. Every piece of evidence must be collected, and every question must be answered, before the charging decision is made. Until every tiny detail is accounted for, no charges should be filed. I have confidence that AG Garland and Special Prosecutor Smith are doing it right.
I was a police sergeant for many years. One of the hardest but most important concepts to drill into officers in my charge was that once a person was arrested, they are *your responsibility*. Justice means adhering to our principles and the rule of law, not violent street justice. Rule of law is what makes this nation singularly great. We must maintain our values or we are lost.
Wouldn’t it be a miracle if we took this time to learn about history of the *ratfu*kers*
-the republicans who have been on this long march to oligarchs running the country?
This happened because we want to blame others. Symptom of the problem, yes the orange Cheeto is. The avoidance of this discussion and the focus on “outside “ forces: new outlets, his followers, the legal system--it’s all a distraction from the problem.
Americans say they care about others, indeed for short periods of time probably do--but WE DON’T VOTE like we do.
We vote with our mini-me, ignoring climate issues, child labor issues, hunger, homelessness, health... the endless ’me’ list.
Perhaps as we wring our pearls worrying about how bad we feel in this upcoming tumultuous time, we stop and vow to be personally accountable for every ignorant vote we’ve made out of self interest and not community interest.
When he took office in January 2017, I reminded a dear old friend that he had the presidential office as his responsibility whether it pleased or bothered any of us. Institutions--and the respect for them-matters. I heartily endorse what you say here because eroding the institutions, the law, the requirements of our country are the true danger rather than any individual, as hard as that may be for any of us to stomach. Thanks...again.
Bob Fuchs Rochester Michigan. I agree with your message today that he is innocent until proven guilty. To advocate for anything less than this fundamental core of our system and values is to advocate for trump and those of his ilk. However I have a small bone to pick with you. Early in the piece you said that the American people elected trump. The majority of those who voted in 2016 rejected trump by almost 3 million votes. In 2020, even though President Biden beat trump by over 7 million votes we were still anxiously biting our fingernails to the quick until certain "battleground" states were finally called. Until we do away with the Electoral College system (devised to appease slave states) we remain vulnerable to a smarter, more astute, more dangerous facsimile of trump.
Very well said Steve. I particularly like and agree with this part:
“I have long argued that Donald Trump is both a symptom and a cause of America’s decay. The simple truth is that no healthy democracy would ever elect such a man. A decent society doesn’t tolerate lie machines like Fox News, or conmen like George Santos in their parliaments and congresses.”
I was reminded of this like cold water splashed in my face..I’ve been so wrapped up in the damage that has been brought on the country I hadn’t thought about it much until now when it was laid out so eloquently here by you Steve..
I have one correction.
The entire world has been watching for many years. Trump, MAGA and the destruction of America are in newspapers, tv, talk shows, trend on our local twitter etc etc.
I watched Legal AF today where they talked about the process that’s about to happen. Karen Friedman Anglifolio was brilliant. This process involves the secret service too. I ponder what will happen if found guilty. America is about to test the legal system of states & federal in many ways.
I am concerned that violent protests will happen, lives threatened and the loss of life.
Trump won’t care and doesn’t care for anyone.
As they say “shit will hit the fan”.
You are a true patriot with moral fortitude who have served your country well. Thank you!
The depth of my contempt for Donald also cannot be measured. He & his cronies have tested the limits of my compassion. One person reminded me of a meditation to imagine that person as a small child, a practice I have done successfully in the past. When I think of Donald as a child, I think of the kid who stole his brother’s toys & threw rocks at his neighbor. Yes, the law dictates that he is innocent until proven guilty. This also tests my limits as Donald is a career criminal & sociopath who has evaded prosecution for decades, thanks to his political donations, political power & fear of his armed & dangerous mob.
I am sorry that your family had to bear the wrath of Trump’s mob. You helped keep democracy on life support.
I think we will be surprised at the charges in NYC. Bragg has had Donald’s books for a while & I doubt he would cross this rubicon without being 150% sure he had him dead to rights.
Trump University online was a fraud, and I don't understand why he was not arrested decades ago.
Regardless of whether he is found guilty or not, we are still stuck sharing our country with his supporters.
Sometimes, justice and revenge share the same space.
Steve, thank you for these words.
I have been a prosecutor my entire career. I spent 27 of those years prosecuting people accused of crimes. Much of my career has been focused on homicides and serial rape cases. I have seen things so heinous they would almost certainly make most people vomit.
But no matter how horrifying the acts were or how overwhelming the evidence might be, one of the best things about being a prosecutor is that you are there to ensure the defendant receives due process and a fair trial. It is one of the most beautiful things about our Constitution - no one will be deprived of liberty without due process of law.
Donald Trump deserves no less.
One final note. The Twitterati who've been tweeting for months that AG Garland is a coward and the DOJ is corrupt for not indicting Trump quickly are, for lack of a better term, f$cking idiots. I had a complicated murder case that took 5 years to put together before we filed charges. Once charges are filed, the investigation is effectively over, and you only have one chance to get things right. Charging a former president will be the biggest case in history. Every piece of evidence must be collected, and every question must be answered, before the charging decision is made. Until every tiny detail is accounted for, no charges should be filed. I have confidence that AG Garland and Special Prosecutor Smith are doing it right.
If no one is above the law, then do I get to ignore subpoenas and refuse to testify when summoned?
Return to the airwaves. At this moment in history, your voice needs to be heard.
I was a police sergeant for many years. One of the hardest but most important concepts to drill into officers in my charge was that once a person was arrested, they are *your responsibility*. Justice means adhering to our principles and the rule of law, not violent street justice. Rule of law is what makes this nation singularly great. We must maintain our values or we are lost.
The first show I watched after 9/11 was Nightline with Ted Koppel on September 14, 2001.
Steve's "Warning" reiterates the soul piercing thoughts Maya Angelou expressed that night.
She acknowledged our anger and cautioned Americans to think hard.
As a Nation we must differentiate between seeking justice and the lust for revenge.
Edit: Rep. Barbara Lee was also a guest that night, and is the only member of Congress who voted against war in Afghanistan.
Thanks. I needed this reminder.
Wouldn’t it be a miracle if we took this time to learn about history of the *ratfu*kers*
-the republicans who have been on this long march to oligarchs running the country?
This happened because we want to blame others. Symptom of the problem, yes the orange Cheeto is. The avoidance of this discussion and the focus on “outside “ forces: new outlets, his followers, the legal system--it’s all a distraction from the problem.
Americans say they care about others, indeed for short periods of time probably do--but WE DON’T VOTE like we do.
We vote with our mini-me, ignoring climate issues, child labor issues, hunger, homelessness, health... the endless ’me’ list.
Perhaps as we wring our pearls worrying about how bad we feel in this upcoming tumultuous time, we stop and vow to be personally accountable for every ignorant vote we’ve made out of self interest and not community interest.
When he took office in January 2017, I reminded a dear old friend that he had the presidential office as his responsibility whether it pleased or bothered any of us. Institutions--and the respect for them-matters. I heartily endorse what you say here because eroding the institutions, the law, the requirements of our country are the true danger rather than any individual, as hard as that may be for any of us to stomach. Thanks...again.
Bob Fuchs Rochester Michigan. I agree with your message today that he is innocent until proven guilty. To advocate for anything less than this fundamental core of our system and values is to advocate for trump and those of his ilk. However I have a small bone to pick with you. Early in the piece you said that the American people elected trump. The majority of those who voted in 2016 rejected trump by almost 3 million votes. In 2020, even though President Biden beat trump by over 7 million votes we were still anxiously biting our fingernails to the quick until certain "battleground" states were finally called. Until we do away with the Electoral College system (devised to appease slave states) we remain vulnerable to a smarter, more astute, more dangerous facsimile of trump.