Readers sound off on an American demagogue, NATO and the Giants’ new coach
The pessimistic speech about Trump 2.0 comes true
Stamford, Connecticut: When historians examine President Trump, they inevitably document his extraordinary abuses of power. But Trump’s thuggish behavior is not solely the result of a corrupt individual motivated by greed and malignant narcissism. It is also the consequence of a flawed constitutional system that assumes good faith in the exercise of presidential power, even if none exists.
The Constitution is based on the principle that elected officials will govern with a true commitment to the public good. The creators anticipated deviance and designed checks and balances to restrict the maneuvers of an autocratic ruler. What they failed to guard against was a president willing to habitually ignore the law itself. Our democracy depends on the executive branch to enforce Congressional legislation and comply with court decisions. When a president, the head of the executive branch, ignores court orders or statutory laws, the constitutional framework collapses. In theory, impeachment or removal under the 25th Amendment provides protection. But these remedies become meaningless when partisan loyalty trumps constitutional duty.
Every nation has budding demagogues and charlatans. The United States is no exception. But when you get to the White House, democratic institutions can be dismantled brick by brick, which is precisely what we are witnessing today. Our government can only survive presidential abuses of power because of the courage of judges to govern honorably and legislators to put country before party.
Unfortunately, courts increasingly populated by servile loyalists and a flabby Congress paralyzed by fear have neutralized the Founders’ guarantees. The annihilation of our constitutional democracy is no longer theoretical. This happens in real time. Pierre Janoff
Head of Mental State
Paramus, NJ: How much evidence do we need? The Orange Felon is clearly mentally disturbed. Time for the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Tom Greff
Senatorial support
Brooklyn: Trump is completely destroying America’s reputation as the ‘great arsenal of democracy’. We have already lost Canada and now many European allies are on the verge of reconsidering our relationship. Who is ultimately to blame here? The answer, from my perspective, is the Republican-controlled Senate, which knows best. Most of them are traditional supporters of institutions like NATO, who know full well the threat Russia poses, but simply look the other way and show no response to this unhinged and tyrannical president. Irwin Cantos
Tragic distractions
Manhattan: The corrupt mafia Don shakes Europe to seize Greenland because he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Last week he threatened to bomb Iran because its theocratic government is killing protesters at the same time Trump’s Gestapo shot an innocent American mom and is kidnapping black and brown people willy-nilly just for that reason. The week before, he had kidnapped the president and his wife of Venezuela. Before that, the Epstein files. Oh yeah, what happened to the Justice Department that didn’t comply with a new federal law to release all the Epstein files? It’s all just a tragic distraction – yes, Steve Bannon’s “flood the zone.” My prediction: Trump will soon focus on taking Cuba and presiding over Marco Rubio. And while the world tries to keep up with Trump’s derangement syndrome, no one is talking about what is wrong in Ukraine and Gaza with his so-called ceasefire and peace plan. Jeff Natt
Greenlandic imbroglio
Cincinnati: Sometimes our bellicose president is right, and we all have to tolerate his hasty and frank expressions of honesty, like the obvious idea that Denmark and NATO without the United States cannot defend Greenland if Russia and China decide otherwise. Trump was right to strain NATO and threaten to turn the screw on a NATO withdrawal without the funding approved by the treaty signatories many years ago. The alliance’s former secretary general praised the move during Trump’s agitating first term, and his successor supported the idea. U.S. ownership of Greenland is a security issue for the alliance, was proposed by others long before Trump had presidential stars in his eyes, would be a relief for Denmark and the alliance, and would be a boon for the citizens of the frozen island. Beyond the bitter and heartbreaking headlines about Trump’s triumph, what does NATO have to lose? Paul Bloustein
As the curtains close
Melbourne, Australia: In the background of the photo of Trump receiving a nicely framed piece of metal – the noble Nobel that you can’t really give away – there is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, but why are there curtains? This is a copy, because the original is too delicate and faded, so there is no need to protect it from sunlight. Is this there to remind Trump why and how the country was founded? He also doesn’t seem to know much about the Constitution, so a clearly visible copy in the Oval Office would also be a good idea. Why the curtains? Perhaps to keep them in the dark while the president wreaks havoc on their content. The curtains could also be fireproof in case the documents explode in flames when the next executive order is signed. Most countries have a constitution to guide their leaders and citizens, but rarely has a constitution been so attacked by one person. Denis Fitzgerald
Noble indeed
Yonkers: To commentator Bob Smagula: What’s wrong with Trump’s misspelling of the Nobel Peace Prize? Of course, the Nobel is a noble prize. Frank Brady
Misremembered message
Whiting, NJ: Vocalist Joann Lee Frank has outdone herself this time. Should Minneapolis residents be more appreciative of ICE removing criminals from their neighborhoods? Criminals like Renée Good? She then posits that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would urge leaders to reject this rhetoric. King may use different language, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t support what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s thugs are doing. The streets of Minneapolis and other cities across this country will be safer when ICE is off them. Bill McConnell
Inward invasion
Brooklyn: I didn’t know Minnesota was a foreign country until I woke up Sunday morning. Am I the only one? Jon Sigall
The story is clear
Orange, Connecticut: To the Voiceman Bradley Morris: You have completely missed the point of my letter. Peaceful protests are permitted by our citizens in a democratic society against the outrageous violence currently being perpetrated by the National Guard and ICE. Assaulting, beating, and killing citizens without just cause and without legal warrant, based on the color of their skin or the language they speak, was a tactic of Adolf Hitler’s Nazis and Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts. Stop watching distorted TV news and pick up a history book. Hitler murdered over 6 million Jews in Europe simply because they were Jewish. Mussolini shot and killed his compatriots because he wanted to establish a totalitarian country and suppress political opposition, leading to thousands of arrests, imprisonments and murders. The student protests at Kent State University were peaceful and opposed the Vietnam War and the presence of the National Guard on campus. Four students were murdered for demonstrating. Fred Portoff
Group criticized
Smithtown, LI: Spokesman Nick Smith apparently doesn’t know what the definition of Zionism is. It is being proud of one’s religion and desiring a majority state. Not all Zionists think the same politically or ideologically. If you used Nick’s words about Zionists and applied them to other oppressed groups, like African Americans, you would be racist or bigoted. And Nick proves his bigotry with every anti-Zionist letter he writes. Andrew Ross
A solid selection
Brooklyn: To commentator Bob Lovell, who questioned the Giants’ hiring of John Harbaugh as their new head coach: I was fortunate to have been printed here on this page recently calling for the firing of head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and I am convinced that the Giants have started moving the franchise in the right direction with the hiring of Harbaugh. Mr. Lovell, are you questioning Harbaugh’s resume? Who should the Giants have hired? One of those “hot” head coaching candidates like Kevin Stefanski or Mike McDaniel who did nothing with their last teams? I think I speak for most of Big Blue Nation when I say congratulations, Giants, on hiring Harbaugh. Jimmy Orr
