I am becoming increasingly depressed as I watch the results of each state’s primaries to select the Republican and Democratic nominees for president. I realize that the number of voters is smaller in total than in many previous primary election cycles, but when you tally the number of people who have cast their ballots for Trump, I am appalled. Here is why.
The list of Republicans who have openly opposed Trump in this election cycle and stated unequivocally that he is unfit to enter the Oval Office ever again is exceedingly long. It includes former Republican Vice Presidents (Cheney and Pence); former Trump Cabinet officials (Barr, Coats, Esper, Haley, Kelly, Mulvaney); former Trump executive office officials (Bolton, Cobb, Davis, Gidwitz, Griffin, Grisham, Hutchinson, Kilberg, Kramer, Lavin, Matthews, McMaster, Miers, Omarosa, Karen Pence, and Troye); and current Republican U.S. senators (Cassidy, Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Rounds, and Young).
I will not bore you with more individual names, but they include seven former Republican senators, seven current Republican representatives, more than fifteen former Republican representatives, three current Republican governors, several former Republican governors, and current state and local officials too numerous to mention. Hello America—please tune in. Many of these people vocalizing their alarm are Trump appointees selected to work in his administration. Some collaborated with him on a daily basis. They know him up close and personal. And they are telling you that he is not the guy you want to be the leader of the free world. Listen to them.
When I was a partner at an international consulting firm, we had 360-degree feedback. If any employee or partner got reviews such as these from so many former colleagues, I can guarantee you they would not be employed by the firm for long. And I can double guarantee you that there is no way they would be considered for rehire. So, in the face of so many scathing reviews, why do Americans pony up to vote for Trump again?
Next, let us consider how many people associated with Trump have gone or are slated to go to prison. They include Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Allen Weisselberg, Peter Navarro, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and Elliot Broidy. And then there are the more than 1,000 people who have been charged in connection with the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Need I mention that Trump has promised to bring Paul Manafort back into the fold for this election cycle? Manafort was found guilty of money laundering and campaign violations related to pro-Russian politicians. And now Trump wants him back to work on this year’s campaign. Interesting choice for a guy who is clearly in need of producing cash to post bonds.
And then there is the number of convictions and indictments Trump faces. He is the first former president in the history of America to face criminal charges. He faces more than 80 felony counts after being indicted four times this year, including charges on mishandling classified documents, Federal election interference, a hush money scheme, and Georgia election interference. Already he has lost a civil suit in New York dealing with tax fraud and a pair of large defamation cases.
Trump has declared bankruptcy at least six times. That often means creditors, which could include lenders, suppliers, pension plans, etc., were never paid. In addition, Trump has a long record of not paying vendors or forcing them to receive only a fraction of what they were due.
Call me crazy, but why on God’s green earth would anyone in their right mind vote for him? I want him to stay as far away as possible from anything having to do with promoting democracy and freedom. Many of my friends have said that if he gets reelected, they plan to leave the country. They do not want to live in a country where more than half the population believes this disreputable fraudster should lead America. And they cannot begin to fathom why any woman in her right mind would vote for him given his crass and crude comments about women, the abortion situation, and then, of course, there is the defamation and rape conviction. I stay up nights thinking about this. My friends are seriously good people who are dedicated to promoting democracy and making the world a better place. Now they are so distraught that they find themselves planning possible escape routes to other countries.
Maya Angelou once said, “When people show you who they are, believe them.” I do. I hope and pray that you do too.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, gardening, piano, kayaking, biking, and nature.
Julie Lowe says
My sentiments precisely. I am completely flummoxed as to why ANYONE would vote for him.
Peter Gallagher says
Excellent piece, thanks. I wish we could hear more from both sides… I would like to hear some answers to your question re why would anyone vote for Mr Trump.
Maggie Andersen says
Thank you for laying this out so clearly! People should also be asking who would benefit most from another round of him. It won’t be the majority of those in the MAGA movement.
Maria W. Grant says
Maggie, you make a great point. I wish these MAGA supporters understood who was really benefited from his policies. Thanks for responding.
Maria Grant says
Maggie, thanks for reading. You make an excellent point. There is no way that Trump would choose to associate with the majority of his MAGA followers. Why don’t they realize that?
Donald Singleton says
Thank you. Extremely well written. I cannot fathom the minds of the Republicans who support this pathological-lying, common con artist. As an eighty three year old veteran, all I can imagine is those who are uninformed or those greedy enough to think a little tax break in their favor is enough to support a criminal.
Maria Grant says
Thank you for writing and thank you for your service.
Maria W. Grant says
Thanks for writing and thank you for your service.
Jay Heim says
It’s because of Biden and his far left influences. Especially the border. If we didn’t have Biden. We would not be trying to solve the Biden problem with Trump. We would not give Trump the time of day. I’m a life long fiscal conservative and Biden has no concern about our debt problem instead just keeps spending money for votes which is all he cares about.
So how else do we stop this charade but to defeat him
I’m a Haley supporter but I have to vote to defeat this Biden disaster.
Maria Grant says
Thanks for writing. It is even harder to justify Trump’s tax cuts for the uber wealthy.
Rich Smith says
The national debt grew by $7.8 trillion under Trump’s four years. Biden’s four year contribution is projected to be $7.9 trillion. Negligible difference. Better find another excuse for voting Trump.
Maria Grant says
It’s hard to justify Trump’s tax cuts for the Uber rich–particularly when you’re so worried about the national debt. Thanks for writing.
Barbara Lee Jefferson says
Biden brought a border deal, written by Conservative Republicans, for a vote in the House & Senate.
Trump told his minions not to support the bill, because it would ‘look good for Biden.’
Nothing is getting done in Congress, because the MAGA have their heads up Trump’s fat ass.
Rev Julie Hart says
Thank you Maria for sharing.
There is one word,a four letter word that says it all about the Trump regime:
EVIL.
Michael Davis says
Thank you for this. It is a well written explanation why many of us are afraid.
There are people who support him because they want power and money and they feel democracy gets in their way. These people admire Putin and Orban and it is perfectly rational of them to support Trump. If you are a friend of Putin or Orban, you do very well financially. I think the leaders of the Republican Party today are in this group.
As for people who will never get a thing from Trump, like the other 99% of the country, I don’t know how to think about it without thinking of it in terms of a cult.
And there are people who support Trump as he is a spiritual leader for groups that thrive off hatred. Racist, misogynists, homophobes, Christian Nationalists, the Nazi marchers in Charlottesville, book burners, etc.
Mary Hunt-Miller says
Excellent article Maria! Thank you for writing. I totally agree.
Wilson Dean says
Great article, Maria, well-written and documented. There have always been crazy voters in both parties but they have almost always been rebuffed by each party’s political leaders. Unfortunately the Republicans in leadership positons vocally supported someone in 2016 who exhibited the very worst qualities in human beings and thereby opened the barn doors for what is a very large number of people who possess the same qualities to feel they had someone to vote for. We should all truly fear this man and his cult followers.
Suzanne Williams says
Thank you for outlining so well the reasons not to vote for Trump. I can not understand how he has garnered so many supporters. Please keep sharing your article.
Jeffrey Staley says
Maria, Well written, I agree completely. Whatever Joe Biden’s failings might seem to be, he is not conspiring with those trying to destroy our democracy or breaking laws to make himself rich. It is very hard to imagine hiring someone to lead our relations with the rest of the world who has absolutely no foreign policy education or skill and just announced a couple of weeks ago he would tell Putin he could do whatever he wants to Europe. Trump has mastered the con, but he is literally unable to do anything related to leading our country. Come on everyone, voting for Trump for ANY reason is not going to benefit you or the rest of us.
Molly Malkus says
Well said. I hope they listen!
Barbara Lee Jefferson says
Excellent article! If I had such writing skills, and knowledge of details, I would have written an article, too. It is beyond comprehension that ANYONE would support such an evil, narcissistic, liar, cheater, ignorant, rude, asshole! He is very transparent about his ‘plans’ should he be elected again. There is only one White House for this rapist, bully, anti- women’s rights, pretend religious vermin: the Jail House.