The Editor:
Your editorial “Leap of Trump” (Jan. 28) asks: ”How would Mr. Trump govern as President? ” In your darkest possible scenario, President Trump starts a trade war.
I think you understate the risks of a Trump presidency. Trade wars are bad, but the worst case scenario is far worse. Mr. Trump has a powerful personality. And how does he use it? He attacks and destroys anyone who criticizes him or refuses to kiss his ring. As a private citizen, he attacks his foes only with vicious words, financial sanctions, or lawsuits. But as president he’ll have the full power of the federal government at his disposal to destroy his enemies. Imagine Richard Nixon on steroids, with charm and charisma. No one in Congress will stand up to Trump. He’ll roll over his opponents, unconstrained by inconveniences such as Supreme Court decisions that attempt to restrain his power.
Will critical journalists like Megyn Kelly, Charles Krauthammer, George Will, and Rich Lowry, or for that matter, the Wall St. Journal Editorial Board, be able to stand in the wind that will blow when President Trump goes after his critics? Trump is a strongman whose campaign is based on a personality cult. If you want to see how that turns out, take a look at previous strongmen – Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, Castro, and Kim Jong Il, to name a few.
Jim Greenfield
Tigard, OR
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