Local opinion: My message to fellow Republicans

There was jubilance when Donald Trump was declared the winner on Nov. 6. He was elected by what some described as a “landslide.” Americans were tired of inflation, rising costs, rampant crime and illegal immigration flooding our neighborhoods. It was obvious our country was run not by Biden, but his “handlers.” Trump won 3,059,799 more popular votes in 2024 than he won in 2020 and 14,299,293 more than he won in 2016.

I voted for Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024, because I considered him the best of two bad choices. Biden asked for a second term to “finish the job” before he was forced out of the race. Harris, who never received one vote from constituents before she was nominated, spoke of “happiness and joy” and turning the page to a new chapter before she was asked in an interview what she would do differently from the Biden administration. Her response: “Nothing that I can think of,” sent shivers down my spine. The American people wanted strong leadership and reassurance that we live in the greatest country in the world.

We got more than we expected: tariffs, threats, tantrums and turmoil. Annex Canada, confiscate the Panama Canal and take Greenland by any means necessary for security reasons. Traditional checks and balances disappeared as the Republican-led Congress quickly rubber-stamped Trump’s every wish. The nation’s founding fathers brilliantly created a system of checks and balances to prevent power-hungry despots from destroying our democracy. That disappeared.

Today, thanks to Donald Trump, America looks more like a dictatorship than a democracy, power has become centralized, opponents are silenced, war criminals are glorified and immigrants are deported without due process. Even foreign-born citizens with documentation are in danger of deportation. Our crops are rotting in the fields because 1.2 million workers are gone. A few days ago, Trump said, “I have the right to do anything I want to do — I am the president of the United States” during an appalling three-hour meeting with his cabinet, who competed to find the loftiest superlatives to describe their leader.

Trump declared April 2, “Liberation Day” and imposed tariffs on more than 150 countries, including some that do not exist. The White House staff proudly proclaimed that 70 countries were eager to make a deal. Most of the deals so far have been made by our traditional trading partners not in Washington, but in Beijing, Buenos Aires and Mumbai. Trump has alienated our long-time friends and emboldened our adversaries. The recent meeting of leaders from China, India, Russia, Brazil and a dozen others is a sure sign that these countries have coalesced to form a plan to become leaders in the new world order as Trump’s policies isolate the US from the world.

In former years, China purchased one-third of our soybeans and huge amounts of U.S. corn and meat. Thus far in 2025, soybean exports to China are zero. China has ceased to be a buyer of US agricultural products. The price of corn is below the cost of production, yet farmers overwhelmingly support Trump because they know he will eventually bail them out.

Trump’s treatment of Ukraine President Zelensky has been destructive and pathetic. Trump’s glorification of Putin during the summit in Alaska was embarrassing and made it more obvious that he wants Russia to win the war so he can claim peace and win the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 2020, Trump challenged election results in several states, claiming fraud. In Georgia, Trump told Republican election officials to go out and “find” votes; they refused to do so. Trump pardoned thousands who committed federal crimes by attacking police and damaging federal property at the Capitol on January 6th.

The latest pathetic ploy is Trump’s push to “fix” the 2026 election by gerrymandering the Texas legislative map. Other states, both red and blue, will follow further eroding confidence in free elections.

We must push back and make it clear to our elected officials, especially Republicans, that Trump’s behavior is unbalanced, unchecked and unacceptable. We must condemn the demagogues. Turning a blind eye guarantees further erosion of democracy.