Being President of the United States is probably the most difficult, important, and influential job in the world. Understanding the Constitution and how our government works is an essential aspect of being qualified for the job. It is naive to think that being President is a “learn as you go” position. Our country’s Founding Fathers were brilliant, but shouldn’t they have set higher expectations for a president other than being 35 and American born? I guess they couldn’t predict someone like Trump ever being elected president or that the country would become pathologically bi-partisan.
Trump supporters have touted his not being part of Washington as a major reason for trusting him. That is ironic as he has proven to be the most prolific liar of any person to ever hold the office of president of this country. His supporters’ witness ( seemingly without concern) the mistakes he makes in governing. He routinely exposes how little he knows about the Constitution, the rule of law, foreign policy, the value of a free press and the importance of the intelligence community. The Republicans constantly have to school him about the law and the limits in the constitution that apply to the presidency.
Understanding how foreign policy works is one of the most important aspects of being the US President. Making sound strategic decisions, both diplomatically and militarily, is crucial for our national security. Keeping our foreign alliances strong and understanding how to manage our enemies takes specific knowledge that Trump clearly doesn’t have nor shows no interest in obtaining. He is an authoritarian trying to change democracy into a country without checks and balances on its leader.
Recently, he withheld money that Congress had appropriated to Ukraine for the purpose of defending itself against Russia. The Republicans finally took action and let him know he was making a dangerous mistake by taking this action, both for Ukraine and for his presidency.
Additionally, he ignores the guidelines of deal-making with other countries that are outlined in the United States Constitution. For example, he naively and possibly criminally tried to broker a mob-like deal with President Zelensky to investigate the Democratic candidate that he fears the most, Joe Biden.
He has repeatedly met with Kim Jong Un, and at each accomplishing nothing more than a photo-op. He sides with dictators over the American Intelligence Community which has weakened their effectiveness in defending our democracy. His insecurities are so profound that he needs to befriend dictators in order to feel like a strongman.
It should be disqualifying for an American president to damage relations with allies, align with murderous dictators, and disparage the US Constitution by calling parts of it that he doesn’t like “phony”. Support for Trump goes beyond partisanship, it goes against patriotism. His brand of patriotism is racist, greedy, self-serving.
The red hat and loud rallies are drug-like for his supporters. They blindly trust him despite his compulsive lying and alignment with dictators over US officials. This belief that someone doesn’t have to be qualified to be president is poor judgment. Maybe citizens should qualify to vote by passing a layman’s test on our Constitution.
If a Democrat was running for president and was as unstable and unqualified as Trump, I would run to the ballot box to vote for Mitt Romney or John Kasich without hesitation.. #countryoverparty.
