Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from Trump Supporters

Imagine nuclear weapons existed in Westeros. Now think about King Joffrey Lannister. Now think about President Donald Trump. Yea... it's that bad.

Suppose an abusive co-worker got a promotion and became your boss. And let's say your former boss was a mentor you greatly admired.  That's how people like me felt last Friday.

It was like watching Scar and his council of hyenas take over Pride Rock from Mufasa. It's demoralizing to witness some one so undeserving achieve power. We can only hope that Simba is out there in the wilderness.

My friends on the other side likely felt the same way watching President Obama's second inauguration. I didn't dismiss their sentiments then. In fact, I understand them now more than ever. But they don't get to dismiss mine now. So guess what...this hurts. Bigly.

The good news is I sleep well knowing that pink-hat-wearing people like me stand for compassion. These days, red-hat-wearing people only seem to stand for walls, internet trolling and a rejection of facts. And they can thank Vladimir Putin for his role in delivering their messenger.

Political discussions abound since Friday. For those attempting to talk sense to right of center friends, here are my answers to frequently asked questions from Trump supporters.


Do you hope he succeeds?

No. I hope America succeeds, but not Donald Trump.

If he succeeds that means 20 million people lose health coverage, 13 million people are deported and billions of my taxpayer dollars are wasted on a useless Mexican border wall. It means we pull out of the Paris Climate Deal which I think is one of the preeminent achievements of modern diplomacy. Oh yea, and it means America disengages from NATO and allows Russia to continue rearranging the borders of Europe with few consequences. None of those things will move America forward. So no, I don't hope he succeeds. 

Rush Limbaugh made the same argument about Obama eight years ago. Its a good argument. That's why I'm making it now. 

Rush deserves credit. For all his bluster, you can count on him to stand firmly on the right. One day, years from now, long after he has misinformed his last hapless listener, I imagine he'll stand firmly next to Sean Hannity in Hell. 

Shouldn't we just give him a chance?

You have it reversed. He should give us a chance. Its his responsibility to legitimize himself and earn the trust of America. Not ours. 

President Obama did both with grace despite spirited attempts to delegitimize him. Trump, you may remember, led those efforts. So here we have the juxtapositions. Would you rather your President display poise or narcissism? Thoughtfulness or childishness? Would you rather him (or her) espouse hope or name-calling? Facts or alternative facts? Think about those choices and then tell me who should get a chance and who should not. 

You say he's not your President, but isn't he actually your President?

He's America's President, but I did not vote for him. I will not own responsibility for his actions and likely failures. That burden falls on the minority of US voters who chose him. He's made no effort to legitimize himself to us, so why should I make any effort to legitimize him to others? All that does is normalize reprehensible rhetoric and behavior. 

Pink hatters are doing exactly what they should be doing which is telling him, in very clear terms, what our expectations are and how he is not meeting them. 

What about the struggling workers in the rust belt?

This is one area where I hope he succeeds. Workers have been decimated by bad trade deals and automation. My high-minded liberal Northeast self deeply hopes that we can bring good middle class jobs back to America's heartland. But if I was in an Atlantic City casino, I wouldn't bet on Mr. Exploitation himself to be the billionaire who improves the lives of working people. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't think Donald Trump is the answer.

There is another side to this. To workers who voted for Trump, please understand that your Muslim neighbor, or your black best friend from high school, or your gay niece or even your sister probably feel even more marginalized than you do, especially now. They may be uncomfortable that you overlooked Trump's rhetoric against them and voted for him anyway. They needed your understanding and support before the election, just like you needed their's. Now they need it more than ever. 

Make an effort to understand their problems. Let them take leadership in their causes and don't stand in their way. Instead try to support them in ways they say are helpful. You can even enlist them in your quest for jobs, but allow yourself to be a partner in their struggles for equal justice under the law. 

Conclusion

I'm a grown-up. I understand that the winning side does things the losing side does not like. That's Democracy. But this is different.

Trump is trying to establish a new normal in political discourse. He's blazing a dark and dangerous path towards a cliff of fear and rejection of reality. Pink hatters are reminding America that there is a better way through the woods.

Its also his character. There is nothing about this man that I aspire to emulate. I try to be empathetic and understand what his supporters see in him. But I struggle. If I could speak to the millions of people who believe he has the character traits to be our chief negotiator on global affairs, I'd ask them this question. You trust him to behave appropriately alone in a room with world leaders, but would you trust him to behave appropriately alone in a room with your 17 year old daughter?