Dear Mr. Trump,

John Cassidy of The New Yorker reports (8/10/18), citing a from Quinnipiac University, “that [your] support among white voters without a college degree fell from fifty-seven per cent in June to forty-nine per cent in July, and that your “disapproval rating went from thirty-six per cent to forty-seven per cent.” Although you have previously quoted from Quinnipiac polls (or misquoted) when it suits you, please don’t despair at this latest demonstration that your popularity is shrinking. Just call it Fake News, Sir!

You have learned that your cult will disbelieve anything you call Fake News and that they now believe that the free press is the enemy of the American people. Indeed, your cult wants you to have the power to shut down The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and any other news outlet that has been even slightly critical of your chaotic and dangerous presidency. And when you urge “the Second Amendment people” to get involved, as you have done in the past and will do in the future, then reporters will be shot dead, and you will say “what a shame” and wink/wink, won’t you? There’s nothing like destroying American institutions to liven up your day, Sir. It’s your mission.

When the Mueller investigation indicts your son, and son-in-law, and Manafort for conspiring to break our election laws, you will call the indictment itself Fake News! And if a jury convicts the accused, you will call the verdict Fake News! too, won’t you? And if the voters in November push enough Republicans out of the House to give it back to Democratic control, you will deem that Fake News! as well and try to find ways to foil the election result. And a sickening percentage of Republicans will believe you.

Only a vast outpouring of Democratic voters – and continued shrinkage of that portion of the electorate that put you in office – can restrain your lunacy and restore honor to our democratic traditions. We will work unceasingly toward that end.

Bruce J. Berger

[this letter has political content]