Dear President Trump:

There you go again, displaying your ignorance about all things, including U.S. history.

I was there at Harvard Law School as Profs. Archibald Cox and Phil Heymann planned out the first steps that the independent investigator would take as they examined the behavior of the scurrilous president of the time, one Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon’s claim that he was not a crook, we all knew he was, and we all know you are too, in a worse way. Nixon tried to subvert democracy by having his troops burglarize the Democratic National Committee headquarters, and you have encouraged the Russians to do the same thing, via hacking. He tried to cover it up, and so are you trying to cover up your own crimes. He fired the investigator, and now you are following in his footsteps. It came to no good for Nixon, and it will come to no good for you.

Do you really think intelligent Americans will believe that you fired Comey because of his conduct during the presidential campaign, conduct that benefited you? And, more importantly, conduct you knew of when you took office in January? If this was the true reason, you would have fired him on January 21. Your lies are so crappy, Mr. President, it’s amazing that you still can’t smell them the way your citizens do.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

Dear Mr. Trump,

It frankly sickens me to see how you and your fellow Republicans celebrate your attempt to deprive millions of poor people of medical coverage. Your big smiles, your congratulatory hugs and pats on the back, your glee – all reflect what you’re really made of: greed, selfishness, and despise for those who are not rich enough to pay for medical care without help.

Your raucous partying reminds me of the citizens of a city whose team has won the World Series, delirious with happiness that they have vanquished their opponents. It was as if you felt that only a trophy was at stake. But life is at stake, sir.

Sadly, you obviously don’t care that taking away health coverage from millions will result in millions of unnecessary deaths. Too bad, you think, as you study the roll of the green. Too bad, you think, as you strut around the White House, believing you are an emperor. Too bad, you think, as you pocket the savings that reduced taxes will afford you.

Too bad that, in our last election, the people whom you are now hurting the most were misled by your lies.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

I attempted to post my letter to President Trump into his “Get In Touch” box at http://www.whitehouse.gov and was rejected, allegedly because of “emoji or special characters” contained within my letter. Yet, there were none. Here is my letter to President Trump, headed by the rejection message in bold:

Special characters such as emoji are not permitted in this field. Please remove 

Dear Mr. Trump,

Congratulations! I hear that your supporters are wildly enthusiastic about your so-called performance in your first 100 days in office. Despite the fact that you have not successfully implemented, over even begun to implement your campaign promises – for which I thank the Almighty – your supporters believe that you have accomplished much. They believe that you have already “drained the swamp,” which is laughable. They believe, apparently, that you have brought God back into government, although how exactly you have done that – p***y-grabber that you admittedly are – remains unclear to me. They believe that you’re on your way to returning coal-mining jobs, ignoring the fact that no such jobs have been or will be created.

What explains these beliefs, all of which fly in the face of evidence? The question is almost irrelevant, because nothing explains beliefs other than the will to believe.

Yet, I can think of historical examples, all too many in fact, of people who give up rational thought in order to embrace a mentally-imbalanced, narcissistic leader, one who, by instilling fear, gains controls to satisfy his own ego, one who has no real concern for the people who tragically put him into a position of leadership. Hitler comes to mind, an egomaniac who led an entire country to destruction. Jim Jones comes to mind as well, who in November 1978 – if you do not recall – led his so-called religious community to mass suicide. He too brought God back into government.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

Dear Mr. Trump,

How dare you compare your supposed popularity with the destruction of the Twin Towers on 911? It makes me physically ill to recognize that the chief executive of this great country is a babyish, narcissistic dunderhead. We know that you wanted the presidency only to satisfy your lustful ego, but could you have possibly been more sensitive to the thousands of people who died on 911 and their families? To liken your notoriety to that sad day in our history is just one further example – no more examples were needed – of your smallness. True enough, though: you and 911 were great disasters in our country’s story.

History will certainly judge you as the worst president of the United States, bar none, but by your behavior you consistently show yourself to be the pettiest and meanest as well.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

Dear President Trump:

So the news lately is that you promised that a great armada of warships were heading to protect South Korea, yet in fact they were going in the opposite direction.

Well, one can easily understand your confusion. Those traffic signs in the Pacific Ocean are notoriously unreliable, what with changing currents and such. One minute the arrow points north and, if you blink your eyes, the next minute the arrow points south. Anyone could get mixed up.

Anyway, can you really be blamed for not knowing where South Korea is? That 1920 map of the world hanging in your office should not have been hung there by your trusted advisers.

But, seriously, Mr. President, you figured out that everyone would know you were lying, because you moved your lips, right?

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

Dear President Trump,

While the country argues about your bombing of Syria, while those who care about real people worry about the tendencies of our new justice of the Supreme Court, while your former national security advisor scurries to gain immunity, I pause to reflect on a larger question: What has happened to human decency?

What do you have to say, Mr. President, about the California Airbnb host who refused to accommodate US citizens of Asian descent, yelling “This is why we have Trump”?

What do you have to say, Mr. President, to the hundreds of people who invoke your name daily as they express hatred to, and commit acts of violence on, fellow citizens and visitors alike, to anyone whom they deem different or unworthy?

Why don’t you speak up and tell your fellow citizens – those who hate in your name – that you abhor their conduct?

Oh, wait, I see … You don’t abhor their conduct. It’s how you were trained, too, isn’t it?

And, I see as well that the haters are an important part of your support, without which you would never have won election.

And, I see to why you refuse to answer my emails. You have nothing legitimate to say in defense of your behavior.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

Dear Mr. Trump,

One need only to consider a series of posts on Facebook to see how much you are despised in America these days. Well, despised by most of my FB friends. I am sure it’s a left-leaning set, but more and more Americans are sharing these views as you proceed through your first few months in office.

Perhaps you would like to read a sample of what I mean:

Mr trump, our Grandchildren and their grandchildren will dam your name forever for what you our doing to the environment! (not sharing author’s name for his own protection)

It’s amazing, really, that God’s [purported] hand-picked political prophet still lost the popular vote by three million, required the help of Russian agents, needed a gift from the FBI director, and counted on his opponent’s campaign grossly miscalculating its support (The Friendly Atheist)

Rex Tillerson and Donald Trump have no idea what they are doing when it comes to foreign policy and are a danger to our allies and the entire planet. (Democratic Coalition Against Trump)

I could go on for days, but really wanted to share with you my own thoughts.

There is a good reason your popularity has sunk to 35% and will sink further. The wider American public is gradually recognizing what many of us have known from the beginning: you are incompetent, unfocused, and intent only on increasing your wealth – avoiding taxes, cheating the people who work for you, etc.

Most importantly, however, the American public is starting to see how you conspired with our enemy, Russia, to acquire your office at the cost of our democracy. You can keep on trying to divert attention away from this, you can call it “fake news” all you want, but in the end the truth will come out. The truth came out during the reign of Tricky Dick, and you are a lot worse than he was. An indisputable trail of evidence, showing how your campaign conspired with Putin, will emerge, just like the Watergate tapes unexpectedly entered the scene during John Dean’s testimony.

You may think you’re protected from impeachment by the Republican majorities in Congress, but don’t count on it, sir. As the truth emerges, these Republicans will desert your sinking ship of state like a pack of rats, an apt simile, I must say.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger

http://www.thepotomacjournal.com/issue19/Poetry/Berger.html

http://cafemfa.com/?p=876

Dear President Trump,

I see that you are now getting flak for bringing Jared and Ivanka into the White House. Frankly, if I were president, I would want to have my family around me for advice. Obviously, your family knows you better than the rest of us know you, and they can probably figure out when you’re lying to them, if you ever do. I think, however, you’ve not gone far enough.

First, shouldn’t Melania be made head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement? She was an immigrant, after all, and must know all about it. She could also be your chief advisor about construction of The Wall.

Second, shouldn’t Barron be made head of the Department of Education, replacing DeVos? After all, Barron goes to school, so he must know everything one needs to know about education.

Now, if I were president, my son, a medical doctor, would be made Secretary of Defense. Why? Because he’s read a lot of military history. He would be perfect for the job, if I were president, that is.

And my daughter, a social worker, would be chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, because she’s a great writer. Yes, I would keep that agency, thank you.

I would, finally, make my one-year-old grandson head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. You need not ask why, but I will tell you anyway. He lives in a house.

So, I thoroughly applaud your decisions to rely so heavily on your son-in-law and daughter for their advice. You just haven’t gone far enough.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger