Political analysts have frequently noted the “division” within the Republican party between “centrist” Reagan Republicans and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Republicans. Nikki Haley recently warned that “the party is completely divided”, adding “you can’t win the general election if you don’t acknowledge the 40 percent of Republicans who are saying ‘we don’t want Donald Trump’.”
Not a single American who has any shred of Ukrainian heritage or is concerned about the clear and present (foreign and domestic) danger of a second Trump term, should vote for him.
The recent Democrat primary in Michigan illustrates the effectiveness of a united Arab American vote in swing states when minority blocs can make the difference. Even a few hundred votes in a contested state can determine the outcome of an election – as was the case with George W. Bush in Florida. This same logic should compel Ukrainian and other Americans – especially those who are “conservative Republicans” – to vote against Trump in November.
Trump is no Reagan
Having had the privilege of knowing Ronald Reagan and working in his administration, I recall when he was wounded by a gunman and a half dozen doctors hovered over him at the operating table. He relieved their troubled looks by smiling and saying: “I hope all you fellows are Republicans”. Trump, by contrast, boasted at a campaign rally: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters.”
'He Wants to Stop the Murders' - Trump Prepared 'Secret Peace Plan' for Ukraine, Sources Say
Trump has often compared himself to Reagan. While there are some similarities in several of their policies, the similarities end there. There is a world of difference in the problems they have encountered and how they approached solving them.
Reagan took office at the height of the “American malaise” – a period of unease, dissatisfaction, and pessimism. The country was experiencing its bleakest economic times since the Great Depression. But Reagan – both an inspiring leader and unifying problem solver – restored the nation’s optimism, confidence, and status as “the shining city on the hill” and the beacon of hope for all those aspiring for freedom.
Reagan’s imprint on the world was huge and long-lasting. But despite the national media’s daily attacks on him and his administration, Americans awarded him with the highest grade ever achieved by any US president – a winning sweep of 49 out of 50 states for a second term – effectively an A+.
Trump, on the other hand, took over a healthy growing economy with low inflation and low interest rates. ISIS was still active, but much reduced as a terrorist threat. The US was considering an exit strategy for Afghanistan and Russia was preoccupied with the fourth year of trench warfare in Ukraine. The two largest issues he faced were migration and parity with China.
Despite his partial success in stemming the uncontrolled flow of migrants, Americans were unimpressed with Trump’s performance and tired of his daily “it’s-all-about-me” whining, nasty Tweets, lies, scandals, bleach injections, “love letters” with bloody tinpot tyrants, complaints about the “deep state”, and stormy relations with his staff.
They awarded him seven states fewer than for his first term – only 23 out of 50 states supported his continued occupancy of the White House and seven million votes shy of his Democrat contender. Of the 31 presidents who aspired for a second term, Trump joins the losing third as the nation gave him a grade “F” and an eviction notice.
Trump’s explanation that the election was “stolen” was not substantiated in numerous court filings, audits, and reviews (including by his Attorney General and hired experts) and deemed to be delusional.
Let’s take a look at just some of the reasons why voting for Trump would be dangerous, not only for the US but for the world order.
Reckless foreign policy
“Under Trump, Ukraine’s survival as a sovereign entity may be at stake. And Putin knows it.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine is not the only “trouble spot” in the world, but it is the most immediate, and most likely to have global, long-lasting ramifications.
Trump’s highly controversial sentiments towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO are well-known and need not be restated. A list of possible actions in a second Trump term would likely include:
- The US leaving NATO
- Potentially denying Ukraine’s entry into NATO;
- Denying further aid to Ukraine
- Recognizing Russia’s claim to Crimea and possibly additional parts of occupied territory
- Withdrawing US forces rashly from potential hot spots around the world
- Trusting Putin more than his intelligence community
- Encouraging the further break-up of the EU
- Favoring the Saudis because of long-standing family financial relationships
- Downplaying human rights abuses around the world
Trust in the US as a reliable partner would quickly dry up and nations would revert to the law of the jungle as bigger powers rush to expand their territorial claims and hegemonies.
Under Trump, Ukraine’s survival as a fully independent, united, democratic, and sovereign entity may be at stake, and Europe’s and America’s security would be at risk. And yes, Putin knows it.
A president’s “fitness” for office affects everything they say, do or fail to do. Erratic decisions may prove catastrophic. Just as Reagan’s presidency is marked by exceptional fitness, Trump’s is marked by serious doubts about his fitness.
Loyalty, laws and tradition
The US relies on a system of governance that provides checks against abusive and erratic decisions and actions by high government officials. Laws protecting civil service employees, while accommodating the reforms and new directions that incoming “political” appointees may bring, ensure a stable ship of state with opportunities for innovation and renewal.
But this critically important safeguard is now in jeopardy. During his presidency, Trump signed an executive order known as “Schedule F.” This order stripped job protections from career officials in policy roles, making it easier to replace them with people loyal to him.
He has likened those who oppose him to “vermin” and pledged to “root them out”. Professor Richard H. Pildes of Ney York University (NYU) Law School stated that “Trump’s demand that government actors pledge loyalty to him, as opposed to law or constitution is a corruption of the rule of law and government institutions.” Indeed, such a demand bears a strong resemblance to Putin’s or Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government.
Corruption and disloyalty to the Constitution
“Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely.”
Trump biographer Timothy L. O’Brien, in his book “TrumpNation: The Art of Being Donald,” describes Trump’s primary outcome as being “self-aggrandizement and self-preservation” with a surprising ability to “corrupt people around him.”
Michael Kruse, in Politico Magazine, quotes O’Brian as telling him that Trump has a “predatory personality… polluting everything he’s touched.”
Trump’s commitment and loyalty to the Constitution are also suspect. Although the trial is scheduled for later this year, the publicly disclosed evidence of intentional fraud by Trump and his advisers to subvert an election – the very cornerstone of democracy and the Constitution – is devastating.
Other than revolution or anarchy, the only way Americans can make their voices heard by the government or initiate peaceful succession is through honest and transparent elections. A criminal scheme was hatched and initiated to have fraudulent electoral votes accepted as legitimate and to pressure the Vice President to reject the legitimate electoral votes from six states.
Professor Akhil Amar of Yale Law School asserted that Trump’s actions since the election “have threatened the very existence of our constitutional democracy.” Significantly, one of Trump’s more outspoken acolytes at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) endorsed the professor’s comments: “Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely.”
Mental health
By focusing on President Joe Biden’s age, forgetfulness, and gaffes, Trump and his campaign have opened the door to delve into the issue of mental health and fitness. Although three years younger, Trump has already displayed even more advanced signs of senility with the slurring of words, forgetfulness, stumbling and confusion. Let’s not forget he introduced his wife as “Mercedes,” confused Nikki Haley with the Hungarian prime minister, and Nancy Pelosi with the president of Turkey.
Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist and former professor at John Hopkins Medical School has sounded the alarm that while “Biden’s brain is aging, Trump’s brain is dementing” and may even be at an early stage of Alzheimer’s.
There is a great deal more that can be said about Trump’s bizarre practices and comments but I highly recommend that the reader view the video Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump to help decide whether Trump can be trusted with his finger on the nuclear button or to meet world leaders. We already know that he cannot be trusted with access to classified material.
In conclusion
By Trump’s own words and record, as well as the testimony of those who were close to him and those who are qualified to comment, Trump appears to be a sick, vindictive, and bitter man. His oft-expressed concern about America’s well-being is contradicted by his comment about hoping the economy would “crash” before the election, and urging the rejection of a strong border control bill.
He simply wants conditions for Americans to deteriorate for the next 10 months so that he can be elected. That is not what Reagan or Reagan conservatives would expect from a patriotic American.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
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Comments (16)
I congratulate the author for retracting his previous support for Trump, which he expressed in a number of opinion pieces prior to the 2000 election. It was difficult for many Ukrainian-Americans to see at that time that a vote for Trump was far from a vote for true Republicanism. The same applies at this election.
While writing these opinion pieces serves a purpose there are very many that cover the same ground. What is needed is for the Ukrainian-American society to get-together and develop a strategy to maximise the pro-Ukrainian vote (ie Biden) in the swinging states, by:
. getting every Ukrainian to register and to vote Democrat (just this time if so needed)
. getting close friends to register and vote democrat
. special emphasis on the young vote, those in aged care and hospitals
. discussions with the East European diaspora, particularly Balts, Poles, Czechs, Romanians, Croats
. contribute to the democrat's campaign in swing states
We have seen the malign forces which Trump can entrap usually pro-Ukrainian Congress people. At least for the two next years both Houses of Congress need to be Democrat. It should not be difficult to target 24 MHR seats with small Republican margins with a similar campaign but based on local knowledge
@Beau bidenish, So in troll talk "The Kyiv post has just lost readers" means you will be back tomorrow right?
Thanks as well for complimenting my hair. Its especially meaningful as I'm at the age I never thought I'd get another hair compliment.
I suspect putin would also look good with pink hair....especially if he was dead. Certainly could not be any worse hair than MRGA orange sphincter mouth's comb over.
@troll posing as Mark,
I'm unsure as to which of my posts below has raised your concern for my health?
Sharing your familiarity with drugs used to treat anxiety and alcohol withdrawal syndrome (I looked it up) perhaps could save lives.
Thanks for this public service.
Happily none of those symptoms applies to me yet.....I'm actually feeling rather invigorated trying to help Ukraine elicit more allied support and fight MRGA propaganda.
If you have any useful medical advice on slowing aging, that could prove useful.
Troll John, go see a doctor. Get someone to prescribe you some Valium and get your head examined. You are a total loon.
@MRGA are SHAMELESS IDIOTS, aka troll "jack" aka trol "Beau"
The Kyivpost will never loose russian trolls while putin still breathes...no matter how much that troll may complain about the KyivPost articles and other commenters here.
Thats because its a paying job for trolls like your. They will always come back. They will always be forced to read the articles and other commenters Ukraine supportive posts. If not, then their posts will look uninformed and be uncompelling. Uncompelling arguments have no impact. Your employer will not be happy if you have no impact after they pay you to be here spreading their propaganda.
Don't make your employer mad "jack". There's got to be at least one person out in this big word that will miss you..... once your employer decides you are an ineffective expense and gets rid of you.
So don't do it for us "jack"...do it for those who care about you. Do it for the children "jack". Think of the children.
@Beau bidenish, You know you really should at east try to pick apart the readily available facts I provide, with a compelling counter argument. It's an uphill battle for sure, but it would be the only way one could possibly make putinrump look appealing to a sane, law abiding person.
MRGA trolls taunts, name calling and often profanity, always in the absence of counter facts just makes the MRGA trolls look stupid and malicious. Very much Ike the playground bullies of our youth that eventually flounder in their adult life, as their more intelligent victims move forward, beneficially contribute to their societies and in general excel in adult life.
Americans have a choice to make in their upcoming presidential elections.
I strongly recommend they learn more about russia before making this decision. One of their two potential leadership choices has openly stated he wants to move the USA towards a Russian governance style. That same one has strong secretive ties to russian leadership, many which have now come to public awareness.
@Beau bidenish,
From a UK Media (Guardian) website:
"Vladimir Putin personally authorised a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election during a closed session of Russia’s national security council, according to what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin documents.
The key meeting took place on 22 January 2016, the papers suggest, with the Russian president, his spy chiefs and senior ministers all present. They agreed a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, among them “social turmoil” in the US and a weakening of the American president’s negotiating position.
Russia’s three spy agencies were ordered to find practical ways to support Trump, in a decree appearing to bear Putin’s signature. By this point Trump was the frontrunner in the Republican party’s nomination race. A report prepared by Putin’s expert department recommended Moscow use “all possible force” to ensure a Trump victory."
Does that raise any suspicions US Republicans or do the volumes of putinrump's many lies (+30,500 in last term), dissent sowing, past illegal activities (4091 lawsuits), and treason related activities need to expand further?
What freedoms are you willing to give up to support the USA MRGA party's path toward dictatorship?
The MAGA hater, “John” is triggered and it is so enjoyable to watch this moron melt down I can’t put my phone down. With every positive Trump comment (and of course he will be President in 2024) “John” spouts more and more Rachel Maddow lies….it’s just so entertaining. “John” and pink haired weirdos like “John” will hopefully move to another country when the Real President takes back the Oval Office in November. The KVIV post has just lost readers by publishing rubbish like this article. Sad paper trying to be something they are not.
@Beau bidenish, You know you really should at east try to pick apart the readily available facts I provide, with a compelling counter argument. It's an uphill battle for sure, but it would be the only way one could possibly make putinrump look appealing to a sane, law abiding person.
MRGA trolls taunts, name calling and often profanity, always in the absence of counter facts just makes the MRGA trolls look stupid and malicious. Very much Ike the playground bullies of our youth that eventually flounder in their adult life, as their more intelligent victims move forward, beneficially contribute to their societies and in general excel in adult life.
Americans have a choice to make in their upcoming presidential elections.
I strongly recommend they learn more about russia before making this decision. One of their two potential leadership choices has openly stated he wants to move the USA towards a Russian governance style. That same one has strong secretive ties to russian leadership, many which have now come to public awareness.
I'll shortly post some more info revealing this strong putin -putinrump connection.
@Beau bidenish, ...aka troll "jack"
The Kyivpost will never loose russian trolls while put still breathes...no matter how much that troll may complain about the KyivPost articles and other commenters here.
Thats because its a paying job for troll like you. They will always come back. They will always be forced to read the articles and other commenters Ukraine supportive posts. If not, then their posts will look uninformed and be uncompelling.
Uncompelling arguments have no impact. Your employer will not be happy if you have no impact after they pay you to be here spreading their propaganda. Don't make your employer mad "jack". There's got to be at least one person out in this big word that will miss you..... once your employer decides you are an ineffective expense and gets rid of you.
So don't do it for us "jack"...do it for those who care about you. Do it for the children "jack". Think of the children.
What a shameless idiot. The fact the Kyiv Post would publish this crap only speaks volumes about the Kyiv Post: A ship load of shameless idiots.
@MRGA are SHAMELESS IDIOTS, aka troll "jack"
The Kyivpost will never loose russian trolls while putin still breathes...no matter how much that troll may complain about the KyivPost articles and other commenters here.
Thats because its a paying job for trolls like your. They will always come back. They will always be forced to read the articles and other commenters Ukraine supportive posts. If not, then their posts will look uninformed and be uncompelling. Uncompelling arguments have no impact. Your employer will not be happy if you have no impact after they pay you to be here spreading their propaganda.
Don't make your employer mad "jack". There's got to be at least one person out in this big word that will miss you..... once your employer decides you are an ineffective expense and gets rid of you.
So don't do it for us "jack"...do it for those who care about you. Do it for the children "jack". Think of the children.
@peter, Your comment does not make any sense.
Mrs. Nuland had a long career in the White House tarting with Clinton in 1993, and serving for both G.W. Bush terms and Obama. She was a key US figure in supporting Ukraine's Maiden Uprising / transition to displace putin's then Ukrainian president crony Yanukovyvh.
Sadly putinrump booted her out of the White House when he became USA president with putin's help. She expressed that under Trump the USA was becoming dangerously isolationist and lost its strong foreign service talent. This risked leaving its allies vulnerable to international treaty violators like putin. Trump then commenced with his string of 16 private meetings with Putin to which his senior staff were not privy.
Fortunately President Biden hired Mrs. Nuland back, and most recently she strongly made the case for the continued Ukrainian Aid being stalled by Putinrumps MRGA minions in the US House. She announced her retirement today after her +30 year career serving the American people under all presidents other than putinrump who had fired her.
Putinrump is for sale to the highest bidder. As with putin he despises fair elections and rule of law. Both are proven lying, vengeful, self serving narcissistic men.
What was your intended point?
Donald Trump is not alone. Victoria Nuland quit/lost her job in the State Departement. Meaning one of the Top Ukraine supporter is gone. There is to much trouble in the Democratic Party. They have to remove Ballast and partly this are some Ukrainian Topics.
Like Szelensky action not to discuss with Russia. He‘s 10 Point Plan is for the Paper tray.
Donald Trump will be paid by Ukraine for delivering Weapons. The Idea to pay another 50 Billion USD for free is not his Business Model.
Just during his presidential term alone, putinrump lavished praise on putin ~80 times. A person would need to be pretty dense to not get whose side rumps MRGA movement is on (RUSSIAs).
I say let his own words incriminate him. Here is another recent rump quote where he actually plagiarized from putins 2020 speech. It will be interesting to see how you russian trolls on Kyivpost reconcile these with your purported interest in seeing Ukraine defend itself from russia's invasion:
12/16/23 “It shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy,” Trump quoted Putin saying in the speech. Trump added: “They’re all laughing at us.”.....He also went on in the party speech to defend the now incarcerated insurrectionist that tried to overthrow the USA's legally elected president on Jan 6th, 2020 calling them "hostages".
Putin hates a democracy with fair elections and rule of laws to protect the people from corruption. In both his actions and words so does Trump (denies proven election results, foments insurrection involved in 4091 lawsuits, 2 impeachments). Two peas in a pod.
Meanwhile the USA ranks 24th on the International corruption transparency scale (Denmark has the top ranking), and russia is way down at 141st place.....that is leadership model Trump aspires to lower the USA towards.
A Newsweek broke this story in Jan 2024 :
"Donald Trump's companies received more than $7.8 million from at least 20 foreign governments during his presidency, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee revealed in a new report on Thursday.
Federal officeholders, including the U.S. president, are forbidden from accepting money, payments, titles, offices or gifts of any kind "from any king, prince or foreign state" under the Constitution without the consent of Congress. The House Democrats' report says that the former president never sought this approval from lawmakers."
The top 6 countries of 21 that paid Trump's businesses during his time in office, according to the House Democrats' report include:
China ($5,572,548)
Saudi Arabia ($615,422)
Qatar ($465,744)
Philippines ($465,744)
Kuwait ($303,371)
India ($282,764)
Malaysia ($248,962)
This article is rubbish. After Trump is re-elected without thr mass vote fraud of 2020, we will ALL SEE that Trump was 100% correct when he advised EU leaders to stop funding, aiding and abetting Putin
Although I am not American, I know about Ronald Reagan, and probably his most important success: destroying the Soviet Union, with the help of his allies, specially UK. The idea of someone like Donald Trump at the White House must make Ronald Reagan shake in his tomb.
Yearly polling data ranking the popularity of past USA presidents has been available since 1937.
At the very bottom of available results came Trump with what I expect many outside the USA would still consider a shockingly generous 41% average rating over his divisive term. Of course he did have the full support of russian propaganda backing him. Still for someone that spread so many lies (+30,500), social dissent and has documented 4091 legal cases plus 2 russian supportive impeachments against them; how is even 41% possible?
Had it been possible to include this as part of a past presidents' term ranking, after putinrumps role fomenting the USA's Jan 6th insurrection I suspect his ranking would have dropped considerably further. Still with the MRGA cult being as stupid as they seem, they will probably even stuff his corpse post mortem and still worship it.
I just can't wait for a troll to post a putinrump supportive comment here. I will drown out what ever falsehoods they spread with pages of cited facts and quotes from now enlightened former putinrumps White House appointees clearly illustrating the vile character of putin's useful orange idiot. It will hopefully pre-arm voters with knowledge they need to make wiser future election choices.
Bring it on MRGA trolls!