https://micheletafoya.substack.com/p/an-open-letter-to-donald-trumpAn Open Letter to Donald Trump
If you really love America…
Michele Tafoya
Dear President Trump:
I’m going to take a lot of heat for this, but here it goes:
Please don’t run for President again.
You probably don’t care about my opinion. In your eyes — and I’m guessing here — I’m just a washed-up, has-been sports reporter who’s got a little podcast. In short, “a loser.”
But you should care about my opinion. After all, I’m an American, and you say you love America.
And if you genuinely love America, you should put her future above your own.
You did some great things for the United States during your four years in the White House. And you accomplished a lot in spite of the fact that you were constantly fighting headwinds.
For those who are in Trump-Achievement-Denial, here’s a small sample of some things you got done:
On National Defense:
Politico said, “Defense policy documents are so abundant they could wallpaper the Pentagon. But the Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy stands out as one of the most important defense policy shifts of the last generation, reorienting the American military to confront rising and increasingly aggressive powers Russia and China.”
On the Economy:
More Americans reported being employed than ever before – nearly 160 million.
Jobless claims hit a nearly 50-year low.
The number of people claiming unemployment insurance as a share of the population hit its lowest on record.
Incomes rose in every single metro area in the United States for the first time in nearly 3 decades.
Cut the business tax rate from 35 percent – the highest in the developed world – all the way down to 21 percent.
On Energy:
You approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. You made America energy independent.
On International Relations:
Your administration brokered the Abraham Accords, formally normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and a pair of Arab states.
Indeed, you advanced some sound
policies.
But your
politics were messy.
And when you were defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, your politics went from messy to absolute mayhem.
There is no question Biden has made an unmitigated disaster of the country. People want change… but not chaos.
Chaos has worked for you. You’ve mastered the art of creating what I’ll call, “constructive chaos”. When you defeated Hillary Clinton, your disruptiveness was bold and welcome.
But America is tired. We are tired of disorder. We want normalcy. We want unity. We want some peace and quiet. We want decency.
We’ve endured the lock-down state of the Pandemic.
We’ve endured an inexcusable, unacceptable crisis at our Southern Border.
We’ve endured a self-inflicted energy crisis.
We’ve endured inflation and soaring gas prices, and we’re bracing for a winter of very cold, expensive discontent.
We’ve endured the fracturing of our people through identity politics.
We’ve endured failing schools.
We’ve endured the cancellation of comedy and conversation.
We need a break. We need a break from Biden… and from you.
Mr. President, if you run again, there will be a re-litigation of January 6. There will be screaming and yelling about “Mega-Maga” republicans. There will be name-calling. There will be insults. Civility will take another brain-rattling hit. There will be more division. (And people will point to your age. You will be 78 in 2024. We have seen how age can lead to cognitive declines. No one is immune.)
About half the country loves you. The other half can’t stand you or are afraid of you.
Meanwhile, there is a deep bench of promising young, diverse candidates that America, on the whole, may be willing to consider.
Ron DeSantis
Marco Rubio
Nikki Haley
Tim Scott
Glenn Youngkin
Kristi Noem
You can be the king maker.
You are still incredibly popular with millions and millions of people, many of whom want you in the picture — just not running again.
We have a unique opportunity to elect someone without the baggage that you carry.
In the words of George Washington, Consider Mar A Lago your vine and fig tree where you can “spend the remainder of (your) days in peaceful retirement, making political pursuits yield to the more rational amusement of cultivating the earth,” whatever that means to you.
Thank you for your attention.
