Dear Editor:

What a relief! Our Racist-in-Chief has finally come out of the closet, declaring what we have known for more than two years: this White House is the command center for white supremacy, bigotry, and xenophobia.

Trump’s recent bout of hate speech caps a relentless campaign to destabilize the United States and the international community.

Here at home, we have endured repeated assaults against the rights of women to access constitutionally-protected reproductive health services; the rights of Americans to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and bequeath to their children a healthy environment and a sustainable economy; the rights of the LGBT community to the respect that comes from equal treatment under the law; the rights of African Americans when confronted by police; and the rights of asylum seekers to humane treatment and fair hearings in immigration courts.

Abroad, the image of the U.S. has been tarnished and our global influence diminished. Iran is moving toward a nuclear weapons program of its own. Russia is expanding its military shadow in eastern Europe, the Arctic, and the Middle East. China is positioning itself to replace the U.S. as the world’s economic hegemon, while flexing its naval might in East Asia. North Korea has taken advantage of Trump’s personality cult to pose as a great power and maintain its nuclear arsenal. After Trump’s repeated diplomatic assaults on our transatlantic alliance, Turkey has snubbed us, its NATO ally, by purchasing Russian missile defenses. Canada, the European Union, and many other allies are working diligently to create trading blocs that bypass the protectionist policies of this “America First” administration. Guatemala vetoed Trump’s mendacious ‘safe third country’ attempt to palm off the human rights disaster he has created on our southern border.

So here we are, on the threshold of the 2020 election. No progress on health care, no infrastructure program, an unsuccessful trade war, and grotesquely bloated defense spending (60% of government’s unrestricted funds, more than the next eight militaries — half of which are our allies). Price tag? Federal deficits averaging $1.2 trillion and our current national debt of more than $22 trillion.

No wonder this authoritarian narcissist distracts and divides us with vicious racism.

Bill Hammond
Trevett