Shouldn’t it be mandatory that a president be competent, rational, compassionate, and law-abiding? Trump has made millions of Americans aware that a person with mental problems can win the presidency, abuse the broad powers bestowed on the office by the Constitution, and destroy both the lives of millions of people and the reputation of the country. Those who support Trump should consider the following questions which explore the levels of competence, honesty, and morality that a U.S. president should possess.
1. What consequences should there be for a President who consistently lies to the American people?
2. What should the consequences be for a President found to be profitting from holding office?
3. Should it be a legal requirement for a Presidential candidate to release their taxes for the past 5-10 years?
4. Would you vote for a law that would require the President to take and pass a test about the Constitution?
5. Should the President be required to agree to a moral code of behavior upon assuming the office? If the code is broken would you support the Congress sanctioning the President?
6. Should the President be consistent in equally defending all of the Amendments of the Constitution?
7. Should there be a White House appointed a staff psychiatrist to work in conjunction with the staff physician to insure both the Presidents mental and physical health are stable?
8. If the President breaks the law, should the Judiciary branch of government be allowed to prosecute him/her?
9. Should the use of executive orders be more restrictive in order to prevent a President’s ability to circumvent the role of the other branches of government or the will of the people?
10. Should presidential transparency be regulated to protect the national security and integrity of the United States?
11. Should limits be put on a president’s excessive spending for recreational travel, hobbies, etc?
12. Should nepotism laws be enforced to block a president’s hiring of unqualified family members?
Trump has gaslighted his supporters to believe that everything he says is true. Rhetoric straight from the Charlie Manson handbook. Barack Obama has called Trump’s normalization of disinformation as ” truth decay” and warns it is a threat to the survival of our democracy. WHY SHOULDN’T A PRESIDENT BE SANCTIONED FOR LYING?
The Constitution prohibits the president from profitting directly from his public service. It has been speculated Trump’s businesses earned approximately 1.9 billion dollars in the first three years of his presidency. Unlike former presidents, he chose not to divest himself from his businesses. Due to his taxes and other financials not being made public, it is not clear what if any conflicts of interests exist with his businesses and foreign countries. SHOULDN’T IT BE A REQUIREMENT THAT A PRESIDENT BE REQUIRED TO REVEAL YEARS OF TAX RETURNS AND DIVEST THEMSELVES FROM FOREIGN BUSINESS DEALINGS?
There is speculation that Trump has never read the Constitution. He interprets Article 2 of the Constitution as meaning, “As president, I can do whatever I want.” He attempted to bribe a foreign leader, the president of Ukraine, by withholding military aid in exchange for investigations into Joe Biden. He also violated the Constitution by ordering use of force against peaceful protestors in Washington D.C. during the Black Lives Matter Demonstrations. IF PRESIDENTS SWEAR TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, SHOULDN’T THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THEY UNDERSTAND IT?
Presidents should be held accountable for immoral, illegal and mentally unstable behaviors. A president with a checkered past is an embarrassment to the country. He is not a role model for children and immoral behaviors indicate poor character and judgment. Additionally, no president should be allowed to act against the rule of law and get away with it. Of most concern is when a president exhibits behaviors which indicate diagnosable psychological problems. Trump exhibits classic symptoms of narcissism, anti- social personality disorder, and problems with impulse control. As a result of his abnormal psychological profile, he has compulsively, vengefully fired high level government officials, ignored the deaths of 250,000 COVID victims, and governed to further his personal interests. DUE TO THE ENORMOUS POWER BESTOWED ON A PRESIDENT, WHY SHOULDNT QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIORS BE SUBJECTED TO LEGAL OR PSYCHIATRIC SCRUTINY?
Suffering through four years of Trump’s pervasive attack on democratic norms has been a national trauma. The most recent assault is his attempt to reverse the outcome of a fraud-free, democratic presidential election simply because he lost. If the emotional, legal and behavioral standards for a president become more strictly defined and supported, Trumpism will become nothing more than an aad footnote to a tragic time in U.S. history.
