A Final Appeal to Trump Fans

Those of you that know me know that I am politically interested, but not particularly politically active. I listen to really wonky nerd podcasts about politics, I read Politico, Roll Call, and The Economist. But I don’t put a lot of hope in politicians or their promises. I put my hope elsewhere.

And I get that you, as a Trump fan, have been getting a lot of flack and a lot of hate about your support for Donald Trump. I know you don’t hate anyone. I know you’re not a racist or a sexist. I know that you would never beat someone up or harass someone because of their skin color.

I get that you are very, very angry about the decline of America. Let’s be honest: America is in decline. We are in moral decline; we are in cultural decline. We are not nearly as powerful as we once were. We don’t take care of our vets. Healthcare costs are out of control. Wages are declining. You are right to be angry, and maybe a little afraid at what’s happening to our country. You may be willing to work hard, but it’s harder and harder to get ahead. And it’s not your fault.

I also get that you’re furious at our political class. This is the class that forced Obamacare down our throats on a partisan vote. This is the class that refused to take action on immigration. This is the class that bailed out the huge banks and let the business that employed you fail. This is the class that has done nothing to restore our manufacturing base or reform trade policy so our most vulnerable workers can get jobs. America has failed you because we’ve voted in the same bozos year after year. So you’re going to get back at the bozos. But I beg of you to take another look at the guy you’ve chosen as your champion.

Looking at Donald with Fresh Eyes

If you’re a Trump fan, you’ve seen the same articles again and again on Facebook. And you might be afraid to say you support him. But you do, because who else is there? They’re all awful. You know, I don’t know, but he scares me. Trump is even more awful. Please hear me out.

The next time you hear him speak, I would like for you to notice some things. Step outside of your feelings for a moment and really listen to this man talk:

1. He doesn’t have a plan.
   “We’re going to win again. We’re going to make America great again. We’re going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it.” How? He never answers these questions. He won’t provide specifics because he doesn’t have any specifics. So what does he do instead?
2. He talks to you like you’re a child
   Note all the superlatives in his speech. Everything is great or fantastic. Everything is very, very good, or very, very bad. He speaks to you like you’re a 3-year-old because he thinks so little of you as a voter. He said he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and you’d still vote for him. He says he loves you because you’re uneducated.
3. He responds to challenges with insults
   He doesn’t say, “This is why you’re wrong.” He insults anyone who challenges him. Just pull up any debate. His answers are either about his poll numbers or they are a personal insult.
4. He has a nasty authoritarian streak
   He admires Vladimir Putin. He wants to repeal press protections. He talks like he can make laws all by himself.
5. He lies.
   He just makes stuff up. There is no reason he can’t release his tax returns. He never went on record against the Iraq War until after it started. According to the neutral fact-checking organization, Politifact, only 7% percent of what he says is true or mostly true! Politifact ruled that 20% of what he says are “Pants on Fire” outright lies. He’s literally worse than any other politician — by a lot.

Finally, take a fresh look at the man’s history. Forget about what he SAYS, and look at what he has done. Trump is literally the problem that he denounces. He is the poster boy for everything you hate:

1. He hired illegal immigrants.
2. He declared bankruptcy four times because he couldn’t pay what he owed.
3. He refused to hire Americans and imported foreign workers instead.
4. He is a recipient of huge corporate welfare tax abatements.

I know that you want to get back at the establishment, and I don’t blame you. I know you don’t hate. You’re not racist. (But a lot of his supporters are. Do you want to partner with hate groups?) You see our country going down the tubes and you hate it. I hate it too, but I beg you not to accelerate our decline by hiring this liar, this charlatan, this boob to be our chief executive.

I don’t know the answer to our political problems, but Donald Trump can only make things worse.