Dec 5, 2019 2 min read

Trump does not deserve respect

With genuine respect to Virginia A. Trois and her letter published in the Observer-Reporter{/em} on Nov. 27. I must take issue and correct her concerning what she said about respecting a president. She is completely wrong that Republicans respected President Obama; it was entirely the opposite. Obama was subjected to eight years of constant attacks by Republicans, and not only for his political views. They even said that he was not born in the United States.

And Donald Trump repeated that during his campaign, finally admitting later that it was false. But he did not apologize. Obama’s wife and children were slandered as well, and despite attempts by a Republican Congress to dig up dirt on him, they found nothing, and his two terms as president were the most scandal-free of any recent U.S. president.

Even now, almost three years after Obama left office, attacks on him continue, coming from the very same people now complaining about how Trump is treated. Respect is not given. It is earned, and you cannot show disrespect for Obama and then turn around and be offended when the current president gets some flack for actual violations of the law, refuses to release his tax returns, pays off porn stars to hide past immoral behavior and calls anyone who disagrees with him “scum.”

In all of my life, I have never seen an American president attack other Americans the way that Trump does. His bizarre friendship with Vladimir Putin, his insults hurled at U.S. Intelligence agencies and his total lack of respect of our military heroes is why so many Americans, both liberal and conservative, have little or no respect for him.

John Bradburn

Washington{&end}