Dear President Trump,
Last month we wrote wishing you well on your 2nd term in Office. This month we write to express concern about the negative tone your administration has put forward in many of it policies and pronouncements. We’d like to remind you of the values that are most important for a President to preserve when he or she serves as the custodian of our democracy. These values include the following:
Transparency: A commitment to sharing the reasoning, thinking, and information that goes into your decision-making process. In the first few weeks of your administration, we have found such transparency lacking. For example, what has Elon Musk’s DOGE team actually done? What data of ours do they have? What do they intend to do with it? Why can’t we know this?
Accountability: Too often it is unclear to us who in your administration is responsible for making decisions, and what happens if they get their decisions wrong. For example, who is accountable for your firing of government workers in different agencies? What if the workers who were fired were responsible for rendering services essential to protecting our lives? What happens to those services? Who is responsible for determining whether these workers were unjustly terminated.
Humility: At least occasionally Mr. President we would like to see you express some humility for the Office you hold and the decisions you make. As you know being President comes with a great deal of authority, power and responsibility. We understand your need to exert the authority of your office from time to time; but please don’t let muscle-flexing get out of hand. Always remember, acknowledge and be grateful to the citizens of your country that you serve.
Morality: While people may vary somewhat in their interpretations of current events, most of us have an inherent sense of what’s right and wrong. We feel a need to do good and combat evil. Sometimes Mr. President your moral stance is unclear to us. Your speeches often are laced with hate aimed at others. Please try and restrain yourself in the use of this kind of language; be more compassionate and do the right thing.
Avoid Retribution: Don’t take everything personally. We understand and appreciate the fact that you feel you’ve been wronged; that “the system” as you perceive it, has worked against you. It may be difficult for you to do but as President you need to let it go. It is not the job of the President to bring his or her personal vendettas with them to the job. You are President of all the people now; not just those who voted for you but those who voted against you and those who oppose your policies. Your job is to look for ways that can unite us and bring us together.
Be Independent from Outside Influence: You must realize that people will seek to court favor with you just because you are the President and in a seat of power.
Please stand guard against the temptation to do political favors for those who try to buy seats at your table. In your first administration there were accusations that your businesses profited from deals that were made because those that made them wanted to be in the good graces of the President and his colleague. Please try and avoid a repeat of this kind of behavior.
Choose Country Over Party: While it is natural for you to enact policies that exclusively support the position of you and your party, don’t always have this be the rule. There are issues crucial to our security and quality of life that need bi-partisan support to succeed. In those instances, people look to you to lead the way by enlisting the support of leaders from the opposing party as well as your own.
Commit to Democracy and Rule of Law: Our country is based on a democratic system and the rule of law. This system is framed by our Constitution and our legal network. It is possible to ignore democracy, the rule of law, and even the Constitution once you are in power; and we have noticed that your administration sometimes leans in that direction. But we implore you not to go too far. You may not think rules and traditions matter as much as the policies you want to get done; but they matter greatly to most of our citizens and for those who come after us. So please show some respect the political legacy that you’ve inherited.
We hope you will take these suggestions in the constructive spirit in which they are offered.
Best Regards
The US RESIST NEWS OP ED TEAM