The following represents the opinion of the student reporter and does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, the Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
I was 12 years old when my dad rushed me out of our living room. It was during the 2016 election cycle, something I was eagerly tuned in for even though I was young. The news was playing a clip of Donald Trump saying he can “grab” women “by the p****” because he is rich and famous. In the infamous one-minute Access Hollywood clip, Trump also describes a women’s chest after breast augmentation surgery and proudly proclaims, “I moved on her like a b****.”
My father ensured that I would not be subjected to such discussions when I was a child. It is a shame we cannot protect everyone from hearing such things—especially from a president.
This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump.
One week after he was inaugurated as president, he enacted an executive order blocking refugees and travelers with passports from seven Muslim-majority countries. While campaigning, he said he wanted to instate a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” It was inhumane, against international refugee law, and simply un-American.
The United States as an institution was built, not only by immigrants, but specifically people escaping religious persecution. To deny anyone entry to the country based on religion is against the very ideals of this nation.
This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump.
In Aug. 2017, chaos and hate based violence overwhelmed Charlottesville, VA. Hundreds of white nationalists joined in a park once named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee protesting his statue removal called “Unite the Right.” The rally was deemed unlawful and was met with counter-protests which became fatal when self-identified white supremist James Fields Jr. deliberately rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one and injuring 35 others.
Donald Trump responded by saying that there are “some very fine people on both sides.”
No, there are not “very fine” white supremacists.
This is why I cannot vote for Trump.
The list goes on: two impeachments, massive conflicts of interest, an endorsement from the Taliban and the Ku Klux Klan, a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a surge in unemployment and an economic collapse, the disbandment of the pandemic task force (we all know how that ended up going), insulted American soldiers who died by calling them “suckers” and “losers,” violated federal laws while visiting Arlington National Cemetery, an insurrection he incited against our nation’s capital in attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power which resulted in Capitol policemen being murdered, and was found guilty of 34 felonies.
He most recently said, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had.” I cannot believe that we live in a place where hearing that is not an immediate moral dealbreaker for constituents.
Republican Baltimore Councilman David Marks weighed in on the issue from a birds eye view.
“People who voted for Trump are very loyal to him and they are tuning this stuff out at the last minute,” Marks said. “Many Republicans don’t like his rhetoric, they don’t like how he conducts himself but they agree with him on core ideas.”
Does anyone else feel uneasy at the idea that our own neighbors, teachers, coworkers, and friends can simply tune things, such as voting for the same person as the KKK, out? Is that not a core idea?
This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump, and this last barely scratches the hellish surface of the Trump administration.
The foundation of democracy rests upon principles of integrity and respect for the law and those that fall under it. It is troublesome for me to hand over the keys to the White House to a felon who is not trusted by those he previously worked with.
When one gains the title of ‘president,’ they must commit to putting country over self; he sacrificed American interests as the entire world watched, leaving world leaders in NATO fearful for peace at the prospect of a second Trump administration. He views the presidency as a vice for his own power—not the furtherment of the country, and that quality is something that should never enter the Oval Office.
Donald Trump became President without any prior political experience, yet consistently ignored his own security and intelligence teams. He displays zero respect for the system that precedes him and his expert team.
When his national security team advised him to not hold a one-on-one meeting with President Putin, he ignored them entirely. Trump sidelined advisors in 2017, dropping the United States’ commitment to a two-state solution for Middle East peace between Israel and Palestine. His advisors corrected his lies about the election, yet he still spread them in fear-mongering speeches, therefore riling up a base that a month later stormed the Capitol.
John Kelly, who was Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff, recently stepped forward to warn about the dangers of having someone like him as the leader of the free world. Thirteen other ex-Trump aides backed his statements.
They wrote in their letter, “Donald Trump’s disdain for the American military and admiration for dictators like Hitler is rooted in his desire for absolute, unchecked power.”
“The American people deserve a leader who won’t threaten to turn armed troops against them, won’t put his quest for power above their needs, and doesn’t idealize the likes of Adolf Hitler,” the letter said.
I trust experts, and when people from inside Trump’s circle report this, I am immediately fearful. You should be, too.
This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump.
His fascination with dictators is worrisome; he acts like an Icarus leading our nation to the Sun.
Since 2016, Trump has publicly admired dictators, like Putin and Kim Jong Un, describing the North Korean dictator as “very honorable,” and even reportedly saying he wants his people to sit up at his prescence like North Koreans do.
I believe in democracy—not dictators. This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump.
As a political science student, I study our system and dissect its movement forward. Donald Trump has proved through his own behavior that he is not the way forward. Fear-mongering, division, and hatred are not qualities to creating “a more perfect union.”
Let’s look towards the future—towards a more inclusive, fair, strong, country. It is only strengthened by harmony in the three branches of the government, a calm executive branch culture, and hope for the future. Donald Trump has never, and will never, be able to fulfill these roles.
This is why I cannot vote for Donald Trump.
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