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Remove Trump from future political office

Trump’s presidency has affected me profoundly.

When I registered to vote, I decided my views were more closely aligned to the Democrats than the Republicans. I voted regularly even when it was for the better of two poor choices but otherwise was politically inactive.

In August 2017, I watch the Charlottesville “Kristallnacht” led by neo-Nazis. Instead of condemning the marchers, Trump declared there were fine people on both sides. I wondered if our president was a secret Nazi and racist.

In 2019, Trump had a private meeting with Putin. The details were never disclosed; the translators notes were confiscated. Putin strode out of the meeting proudly. Trump trailed behind looking like a whipped puppy. This made me wonder if we had elected a “Manchurian Candidate.”

Trump’s actions horrified me. I became active. I wrote and called my representative and senators. I wrote letters to the editor. I joined a protest group and participated in a few peaceful demonstrations. I contributed to political campaigns, phone banked, and door knocked.

In 2020 Trump reportedly said that he could only lose if the election was fraudulent. During the count, Trump reportedly declared victory as he was losing the vote count. He pressured election officials not to certify elections in Biden’s favor. I saw reports of Trump losing 47 court cases and still yell that the election was being stolen in spite of Biden’s 7 million vote lead. Then on Jan. 6, I saw him on TV show his contempt for the Constitution by urging a mob to attack the Capitol to prevent final certification of the electoral votes.

Trump could have stopped the violence at any time without conceding defeat if he had made the statement that there was going to be a peaceful change of administration on Jan. 20. He made that statement shortly after the mob action. His actions caused the first violent transfer of power in the country’s 244 year history.

If Trump is not convicted and permanently removed from office, I will be unable to regard any Republican supporting him as a patriot, will feel they are enablers, and will wonder if they are trying to install a dictatorship. After the violence on Jan. 6, removal of Trump from any chance of returning to power is necessary for the country to heal from his administration.

Judith Peascoe

Vienna

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