Forget critique, we must take action to stop Trump, save democracy

By Mel Gurtov, Guest Columnist

The election of Donald Trump was a severe blow to rational thinking. We — and I include many traditional conservatives as well as liberals of all stripes — were so certain that the American people would not possibly elect such an undignified, ill-informed and prejudiced person. When they did, we assumed Trump would be moderated, constrained, even reassembled by some of the same factors that affected previous strong-willed presidents: the professional bureaucracy, a politically attuned White House staff, pressures from Congress, the traditions of the office, the aspiration for reelection and the demands of the job. None of that has happened.

• The polls, which consistently show Trump below 40 percent in popularity and below 50 percent in approval ratings.
• Trump’s “reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior” (Jeff Flake), which will lead to widespread defections from the Republican Party;
• Trump’s failure to deliver on his legislative agenda;
• The ongoing investigations of Trump and the Russians — yes, Paul Manafort and two others have been indicted, but Trump’s collusion and obstruction are far from being proven;
• The rift within the Republican Party between the Bannon-led “alt right” and traditional conservatives;
• Trump’s tweets maligning everyone from Gold Star parents to Republican leaders;
• Trump’s daily lies;
• Appointments to cabinet and agency positions of people who are not only incompetent and unqualified, but also determined to sabotage their mission;
• The blatant corruption of the Trump family, which reaps enormous financial benefits from his presidency and sneers at accusations of conflict of interest;
• The barrage of criticism from the mainstream media;
• Trump’s threatening language when dealing with sensitive overseas situations such as North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests;
• Local elections whose results might indicate an anti-Trump trend;
• The undemonstrated “moderating” influence of White House staff, starting with Chief of Staff John Kelly;
• The departure of high-profile personnel, starting with Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus;
• Trump’s failure to “drain the swamp” and instead to populate it;
• Trump’s failure to deliver on top campaign priorities such as repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and restricting immigration;
• The low esteem in which Trump is held by many foreign leaders, and his evident contempt for diplomacy;