Jul 31, 2025 3 min read

This newspaper’s two most prolific anti-Trump commentators, Gary Stout and Oren Spiegler, ironically leveled individual broadsides at the president on successive days in the Observer-Reporter (“The truth about Trump,” July 27; “A look at the state of the GOP, July 28). Unfortunately, neither commentary bore resemblance to its title – the first was not truthful about the president, and the second was simply another lengthy harangue about Donald Trump, not about the GOP.

Speaking as a Trump supporter (a “MAGA,” “white nationalist” according to Stout and a “Trumpublican,” according to Spiegler), I feel sorry for the authors of these op-eds. Both have tried mightily and unsuccessfully for many years to denigrate President Trump and to convince readers that he is an “oppressive, anti-democratic, racist” leader who “ran for office to stay out of prison.” Their writings have become worn, frothy rants that repeat unsupported nonsense about the president while ridiculously predicting the demise of democracy. They have begun to resemble Charlie Brown-like characters kicking empty air when Trump’s actions are successful and our democracy remains intact and unthreatened.

The juxtaposition of these two commentaries indicates to me that the authors share a common weakness in their editorial zingers about Trump. While they effusively point out what they perceive as Trump’s grand flaws, neither tells the readers how President Biden (or Obama) would have done, or did, a superior job. Perhaps they could hit the pause button on Trump Derangement Syndrome and thoughtfully compare and contrast some of Trump’s actions/accomplishments with those of Biden (or Obama) in such things as:

– Combating crime in America;

– Management of illegal immigration and border security efforts;

– Economic accomplishments during the first six months in office;

– Handling of the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) and the effects their respective policies have had on Iran’s nuclear program;

– Support of Israel and Ukraine in their wars;

– Their ability to effectively influence foreign leaders and NATO allies;

– Their policies on transgender men competing in women’s sports and sex change procedures for children.

I agree with Stout that Democrats need to seek ways to compete with Trump’s success in ways other than shouting “Trump is Hitler.” It’ll be a tough search, but I’m sure “Democrat heroes” and bright lights like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar and Zohran Mamdani will lead the party from the wilderness.

Steve Johnson

Washington