How Many Blows Can You Take Before You Crumble? – May 16, 2017

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Crumbling, Democracy, Democrat, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Media, Politics, POTUS, President, Reality Check, Republican, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life, White House

Dear Donald,

How are you and your administration holding up? Things honestly seem like they are falling apart. Day after day, it seems like you and your team are just trying to prepare yourself for the next blow. How many more hits before things really start to crumble?

White House officials feel like they are under siege. This type of instability is not sustainable. At what point does it get to be too much? Will you throw in the towel and step down?

With each new day, new stories come to light that only escalates the distrust and outrage. With stories such as your attempt to shut down the Flynn investigation, or how you shared classified information with Russian officials what story will be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back?

I think anyone working for you right now is probably worried about their job security. I’m sure the stress of all of the negative news hitting the headlines is really starting to take its toll. I’m sure people are starting to see that things can change quite drastically from day to day with you. It doesn’t seem to matter if you like someone or praise someone one day, the next day could be a completely different narrative and your reasoning could make little to no sense.

What is it going to take for you to see that your way is not working?

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

So That Happened… – May 4, 2017

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ACA, AHCA, Congress, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Disapproval, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Healthcare, Media, News, Politics, Repeal, Republican, Trump, Trump Administration, USA

Dear Donald,

So, you got the Affordable Care Act repealed in Congress. I’m sure you are pretty ecstatic. One thing I found interesting to note is that the Congressional Exemption is still in place and it is set to be dealt with separately. Now it’s hard to say whether this is for their own convenience, or for the sake of not putting off this vote once again, but interesting to note nonetheless.

I supposed one could say it’s not over until the fat lady sings, because this still has to go through the senate, but I think you and I both know it’s a pretty done deal.

Every House Democrat voted no, but unfortunately they do not hold the majority so with 217 House Republican voting yes, it passed. It’s so frustrating to see how close the margins were, but the vote count just wasn’t enough to stop this in the second round.

This is only going to get uglier, and there is not much that can be done. The country will just have to sit back and see how you decide to write our future for us.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

American Health Care Act, Round 2 – May 3, 2017

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Congress, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Donald, Donald Trump, Media, News, POTUS, Republican, Republican Party, Round 2, Trump

Dear Donald,

I’m just going to keep today’s letter short and sweet. Tomorrow’s vote on the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act is really taking my attention right now. It seems that this new bill is gaining traction and that this bill is more likely to pass.

While it isn’t really clear if this bill will have support from conservatives, the House Republicans were really sent home with an earful, as this article puts it: the House Republican Conference was left with a stark choice: Reject the measure and take the blame previously left at the feet of conservatives for undermining a central goal of the administration, or give it the nod, please voters who want a repeal, and risk taking a potentially fatal hit in the next election for approving a measure expected to leave tens of millions of Americans without insurance.

I’m just holding my breath to see what happens tomorrow, as it seems like for sure this vote is going to happen tomorrow. While I know there have been some changes made to the bill, it didn’t change enough to change the fact that a lot of people still stand to lose so much. Nothing substantial has really changed in the bill over all, just a few minor tweaks to say it’s different.

I’m over here hoping that some people can still exercise empathy for the people this will affect and really cast their votes with those people in mind.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Are you for Democracy or Not? – May 2, 2017

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Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Dictator, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Media, News, POTUS, President, Republican, Respect, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life, USA

Dear Donald,

You have to stop and take a minute before sending off tweets. I understand that these are just your off the cuff thoughts, but you aren’t doing yourself any favors by not taking a minute to really think about what you’re saying. You really can have a tendency to come off as ignorant and rash.

“President Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the Civil War started, saw it coming and was angry. Would never have let it happen!” @realDonaldTrump 5:55PM – 1 May 2017

“The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate which are not there! We….” @realDonaldTrump 6:01AM – 2 May 2017

“either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51%. Our country needs a good “shutdown” in September to fix mess!”

Now for the Andrew Jackson tweet, I just can’t get into that. That’s a rabbit hole I just won’t even try to go down. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with that.

Addressing the government shutdown on the other hand, while I’m sure this is probably largely due to the fact that you are frustrated with the fact that your bills are not passing in Congress. Although throwing out the baby out with the bathwater seems a bit extreme don’t you think?

As President of the United States, I really wish you’d take on a more mature, reasonable adult position when you do things. I don’t know if you realize it, but a lot of what you do sounds like huffing and puffing and playing the blame game on why things are screwed. You make these threats, and it just sounds like you are trying to bully people into doing things your way.

These setbacks happen because we are collectively telling you that this is not we want. We have a democracy here, not a dictatorship.

 

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Wow, So You’d Run Again? – April 30, 2017

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Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Election, Fake News, Interview, Media, News, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Republican Party, Sad, Trump Administration, Trump Life, Two Terms, USA, White House

Dear Donald,

Well, after reading the transcript from your interview with “Face the Nation” John Dickerson, I guess I got the wrong impression from your Reuters interview. You are putting on a happy face for the job, saying that you really love it and think you are doing a good job. When directly asked about how you thought it would be easier you said that it’s tough, but that you’ve had things that were tougher, but that you’ll let us know if that is still the case after eight years.

I was just so surprised that you think that you could possibly serve two terms. You think foreign policy is going well, and that relationships with other leaders are going great, and any media out there that says otherwise is fake.

You tried to call out John as one of the sources of news that you call fake and called the show“Deface the Nation”. As he tried to have a reasonable debate with you about stories that you didn’t like, you kept cutting him off and shutting him down. You didn’t want a discussion, you just wanted to say your piece and move on with no rebuttal.

I’m sorry, but with that kind of attitude, I should hope that you don’t serve two terms. You aren’t open to listen to the people you are trying to serve. You seem to just want things to be your way or the highway.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

More Russia News – April 21, 2017

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American, BuzzFeed, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democrat, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Fact, FBI, Journalism, Media, News, Politics, Republican, Russia, Travel, Trump, Truth, USA, Waiting

Dear Donald,

Russia is coming up again in the news again. It seems like the new hypothesis is that Russia tried to use some of your advisors to infiltrate your campaign.

There is some speculation on whether or not the individuals were knowingly aiding the Russians or not. Regardless, I really hope this investigation concludes soon. I have no idea what the end results will be but at this point, I will just be happy to have this issued put to rest and resolved.

I’m hearing that the FBI seems to be using this ‘unverified dossier’ as sort of a trail to follow and connect dots in this investigation. Apparently this document of memos is from Christopher Steel, a previous agent of Britain’s secret intelligence MI6. A BuzzFeed journalist obtained a copy and published it back in January.

The fact that the FBI is using this dossier put some legitimacy to the timeline and substance of it. Which might explain why some ‘experts’ have accused the FBI of having political reasons for allowing this into evidence.

I am of the opinion that the truth cannot stay hidden. Too many people are digging into this to keep this under wraps forever. I hope you are really aware of the truth, facts and reality of the situation and you are prepared for the outcome, no matter what the results are.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Please Don’t Spend the Hopes of Our Children – April 10, 2017

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Airstrike, American, Approval, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Disapproval, Donald, Donald Trump, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Government, Media, News, People, Politics, Poll, POTUS, President, Quote, Republican, Statistics, Syria, Trump, Trump Administration, United, United States, US, USA, War

Dear Donald,

In trying to get a handle on how people are feeling after your attack on Syria last week, I came across a poll that breaks down the approvals and disapprovals by Republican, Democrat, Independent and overall. I find it interesting to note that overall as a collective majority there is a 57% approval on the strike that occurred, but that few Americans are willing to see the US get more involved than airstrikes with Syria.

It comes as no surprise to me that the majority numbers seem to be won over by the sheer majority of Republicans leaning in favor. While the Independent and Democratic voters seem to be more evenly torn on the approval and disapproval I find it equally worth noting that of the three parties polled, the Democratic voters are the only of the three to lean more towards disapproval than approval.

One thing that all three parties did agree on however, was the need for Congressional approval for further military action. All three parties were more than 50% in agreement on this matter. I certainly hope this speaks volumes to you as something to consider before any further actions are taken.

It’s unclear as to how much of a threat these chemical weapons pose to the US, but personally I think the matter should be handled as delicately and as thoughtfully as possible.

We have a fair amount of support internationally regarding the strike, I still hope issues can be resolved in a way that does not lead to an actual declaration of war.

This is not a time to allow egos to dictate how responses should be conducted. People’s lives should never be a trifling matter.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Apprehension is Rising – April 7, 2017

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Assad, Attack, Babies, Bombing, Chemical Attack, Congress, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democrat, Donald, Donald Trump, Graham, McCain, Media, National Security, News, Obama, Obama Administration, Paul, People, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Strike, Syria, Tomahawk Missles, Trump, Trump Administration, Truth, Tweets, Twitter, United States, USA, War

Dear Donald,

Yikes, I don’t even know where to begin. Not long after I posted my letter to you yesterday, I saw the news about your attack on Syria. You were quoted to have said “It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.”

So many people seem unsure of where to stand on the whole ordeal. It completely seemed to just come out of nowhere. Many people are pointing out how over the years you have made it explicitly clear that you thought that “Syria is NOT our problem” and how we “should stay the hell out of Syria”. Time and time again you appeared to express that you really though we should have nothing to do with Syria, yet yesterday it seemed you made a drastic switch on your stance in the whole thing.

You did say yesterday that your attitude toward Syria did change very much. Was it the deaths of children that made a big impact on your change towards Syria and Assad? “Chemical attack was so horrific in Syria against innocent people, including women, small children, and even beautiful little babies. Their deaths was an affront to humanity. These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated,” If this was truly the reason for the attack, I wonder if this reactionary attack was truly the best or most effective method to put an end to this. Especially seeing that your attack killed children as well.

I honestly hope that this was not just purely emotional, or perhaps just you attempting to flex your muscle and prove something.

While Senators McCain and Graham support your actions completely, Senator Paul felt that you should have consulted Congress. He is quoted to have said “While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the United States was not attacked,”…“The President needs congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution, and I call on him to come to Congress for a proper debate.”

As always, I can only wait to see how things unfold…

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

I Keep A Fool’s Hope Alive That You Can Change – April 6, 2017

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American, Attacks, Dear 1600 Penn Ave, Dear Donald, Democracy, Democrat, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Hope, King Abdullah, Media, News, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Syria, Trump Administration

Dear Donald,

I wish you could get it through your head that true leadership is not about superiority or prestige. I wish you could understand that you would truly be respected if you actually took ownership of what you and your administration are doing, instead of always trying to pass blame, but be the first to claim credit whenever you think you can.

If you showed that you were truly invested in the good of all Americans and not just those that can afford to live as lavishly as you, people might feel a little differently towards you.

I watched you speaking with King Abdullah about the attacks on Syria and as per usual it was really hard for me to understand if you were actually saying anything of consequence or just rambling off words.

You don’t ever seem to answer questions and it drives me crazy! A lot of times it comes off as you not knowing what to say so you try to just ramble and say nothing too committal so you can’t be held to anything you say. Then of course you always have to have the last word and try to pass of any blame that might fall on you and say “the world is a mess” and that you “inherited a mess” but of course you’re going to fix it.

Truly admirable leaders always take lesser than their share of the credit and more than their share of the blame. Until you learn that leadership is not all about the hoopla and praise, but truly concerning yourself with the safety and overall wellbeing the people beneath you, you will never find the true admiration it seems you crave so badly.

I always feel stupid for keeping this small shred of hope, that people can change, even people that seem to be as stubborn as you. Although, if I didn’t try and keep the hope alive, I think the crushing disappointment would feel far worse.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen

Conspiracy Theories or Plausible Reality? – April 5, 2017

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American, Conspiracy Theory, Dear Donald, Donald, Donald Speak, Donald Trump, Fake News, Government, Magic, Media, News, Paranoid, People, Politics, POTUS, President, Republican, Republican Party, Steve Banning, Trump, Trump Administration, Trump Life, Truth, USA

Dear Donald,

So part of me wants to be really happy that you removed Stephen Bannon from his position on the National Security Council’s principals committee, but another part of me is wondering if this is just the tip of an iceberg of something bigger.

I hate feeling like I’m overly paranoid, or  like I sound like an unreasonable conspiracy theorist, but I feel like if I don’t stay on my toes I would be worse off.

As per usual there was no real details provided on the reasoning for the demotion. I wonder if there are other positions in mind for him, or if there was something that happened that caused some irreconcilable differences. Of course I could spend all day coming up with what ifs, but at the end of the day they are all just speculations.

Even when your administration offers reasons or explanations for your doings, I always just know it’s the story you all have agreed upon to share to paint you all in the best light possible. I guess that’s always the case, but with you and your previous actions and statements, I tend to be a bit more apprehensive about everything you do.

In other news I found it really quite unsurprising yet frustrating that you not only support Bill O’Reilly, but that you don’t think that he did anything wrong. You automatically assume there is no merit to the claims of sexual harassment and verbal abuse accused of him. This to me sounds like your typical approach in that if something doesn’t align with what you want it to be, you immediately dismiss it and deny it or claim it is fake news.

I don’t think you can keep a clean slate for long. Sooner or later something will happen that you can’t hide. At some point, there will be undeniable evidence you can’t do away with and I hope it really changes things for the better.

Sincerely,
A Solicitous Citizen