I have heard from many of you about the decline of the United States since Trump’s election, emphatically since his inauguration. Some of you are sad, others mad, no one glad. I am right there with all of you in all of the above. I have meant to reply to each of you for some time, but I find it difficult to be clear and coherent about so many diverse and difficult thoughts and feelings which change almost on an hourly basis.
I am a loyal American, and I love my country. But I make no apology for Trump’s vicious actions or vulgar behavior in the conduct of his office, either as an expression of contrition or a justification for it. Instead, I assert that his vision of America, if Trump can be said to have one, is a betrayal of this country and a travesty of this great experiment in democracy. I am ashamed that the conduct of many elected officials, not to mention the mavens of the media and the once-called “captains of industry” makes America appear to be no longer “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” as our national anthem would have it in conclusion. In the highest political circles of both parties, it is the land of the fear and the home of the craven.
I think that worse than all of the inane and shifting policies; incompetent and corrupt actions; and dishonesty and crudity of Trump and his minions is the failure of so many elected officials across the political spectrum to resist Trump by asserting and supporting the country’s basic principles: the equality of all people, the consent of the governed, and the rule of law.
But I do not despair; the Republican’s attempted coup as outlined by Project 2025 is stalling. More and more judges—the Supreme Court has yet to be heard from—, law firms and media outlets, and institutions of higher education are erecting a defense of democracy and thwarting Trump. Local efforts are attracting people of all political parties to protest his efforts. “We the people” are bringing this administration to a halt.
Meanwhile, Trump will cause millions to suffer hunger, disease, and death here and abroad. They will do a great deal of damage to this country, other countries, and the international world order. Some effects will be long-lasting, some permanent. Even reforms of the wisest kind are unlikely to fully restore the trust which America had earned over generations and its generally benign leadership exercised for 80 years after the end of World War II.
I hope that the Democratic Party will not only overwhelmingly triumph over the Republican Party, but also take steps to prevent the recovery of this neo-fascist party and a recycling of Republican Party coup attempts. Those who have been involved in this attempted coup against American’s constitutional democracy—Trump did not act alone; he acted with their consent—must be held accountable. Under the law and the rule of law, they must be subject to vigorous investigation, rigorous prosecution, and maximum punishment, including incarceration. The success or failure of such efforts will depend on whether they purify or putrefy the body politic.
Not many years after the end of World War II, I imagined that America could become a fascist state. In my early years, I understood that excrescences like Joseph McCarthy, Roy Cohn, The John Birch Society, the KKK, Strom Thurmond, George Wallace, Richard Nixon, and others of their ilk represented millions of Americans. Now, at the close of my life, I understand that excrescences like Newt Gingrich, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Donald Trump, the Steves Bannon and Miller, The Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, and others of their ilk also represent millions of Americans. I am puzzled that a persistent third of my fellow citizens reject the promises of America's principles. If America’s success does not appeal to them, I have to fear that its failure will—a phenomenon beyond my comprehension. I want to say, as—I cannot resist saying—another Jew said long ago, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” But I cannot. Many more than one man’s life is at stake.
I hope for something better for us and wish for everything best for you.
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