Trump’s character flaws are numerous and obvious. Tri-Citians should reject him | Opinion
Trump character obviously flawed
Some say policies are more important than personality in deciding on a candidate. However, in this election, character is decisive. Let’s check Trump’s character.
References: 36 of his former administration insiders, 55 others who worked with him or knew him well, over 200 former Republican staffers and 700 national security officials all say that Trump is unfit to be president, for a multitude of reasons.
National security risk: Took classified documents to his club, leaving them in public places; suggested suspending the Constitution (in a “Truth”).
Business practices: He would not pay subcontractors what he had agreed on, bankrupting some. He employed undocumented immigrant workers.
Dismissive of the military: Multiple instances of belittling members of the military, their awards, their sacred spaces, such as Arlington Cemetery, and their injuries.
Law and Order: It is basically Republicans testifying against Trump in many of his cases. He has indicted gang members on stage with him at rallies, and welcomes their endorsements.
He is divisive – with statements such as “Happy Memorial Day … to human scum,” referring to those who don’t support him. Many of his speeches reference the U.S. as failing, in decline.
Thus, I believe Trump fails the character test for president.
Joyce Scherpelz, Richland
Sessler won’t try to impeach Trump
We are in the last weeks of the candidates saying vote for me. The candidates who bother me are the candidates for the 4th Congressional District. I have barely heard anything from Jerrold Sessler. It is stated that he wants people to pay 30% more for whatever they want to buy. That would be scary if that were true. But how could that be? It takes Congress to propose and pass a bill to tax people and the President to sign it into law. Considering, if Trump gets re-elected, he would veto the bill.
Dan Newhouse is scaring people with Democrat scare tactics. He also has millions of dollars in his election war chest from the Democrats he deals with as lobbyists in Washington, D.C. We must remember that when Trump was an active president, Newhouse voted to impeach him. Are you ready to have him impeach Trump again if he gets re-elected? One must also not forget that he worked for a Democrat, Gov. Christine Gregoire.
When you vote for Sessler, there will be no votes for impeachment of Donald Trump.
Lloyd Becker, Richland
Trump’s actions cost lives, jobs
During Trump’s presidency, the trade deficit grew to its highest level since 2008. His 2017 tax cuts incentivized corporations to offshore jobs by lowering the tax rates on foreign profits. More than 300,000 jobs were lost to offshoring during Trump’s presidency.
Blaming Pfizer for his 2020 election loss, Trump urged his followers to use Hydroxychloroquine. According to the Journal of The American Medical Association, Hydroxychloroquine is not effective against COVID-19, and is associated with cardiac arrest.
In October, 2021, 25 out of every 100,000 residents in predominantly Trump voting counties died of COVID-19, approximately three times higher than the death rate in predominantly Biden voting counties (7.8 per 100,000).
At a rally in Wisconsin on Sept. 28, Trump called Kamala Harris “ mentally disabled and impaired,” revealing his contempt for disabled people. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people with disabilities face health inequities due to discrimination, poverty and exclusion from education and employment. More than one in four (28.7 percent) adults in America have some type of disability.
Trump’s lies cost jobs and lives. Please vote for Kamala Harris.
Gretchen de Grasse, Walla Walla
Keep Newhouse, reject Sessler
Let’s re-elect Dan Newhouse to Congress. He is truly a bipartisan, traditional Republican who has been focused and effective despite Jerrod Sessler’s distractions and unwillingness to demonstrate his commitment to civil debate. Newhouse in no way fits the MAGA label of RINO. Rather, Jerrod Sessler has earned the moniker “Republican in Name Only Trump” (RINOT). First, Sessler focused on revenge for the congressman who voted with his insight and moral ethics to impeach the former President Trump.
Then Sessler backed out of the debates in an effort to invalidate the primary election in his vain hope to split the vote with some unknown, write-in Democrat. Mr. Sessler has not demonstrated an understanding about our congressional district. He has voiced generalizations from the MAGA playbook. Strange to see his few evident campaign signs with a secondary sign: “Trump endorsed.”
Mr. Trump endorsed two Republican primary candidates. I consider Mr. Trump was hedging his bets because he also believes in revenge for Newhouse’s impeachment vote. Without Mr. Trump, Jerrod Sessler would have nothing to say. Thank you, Newhouse, for your persistence.
Dan Lowe, Richland
GOP patriots will choose Newhouse
Donald Trump is a felon, an insurrectionist and a sexual predator, and MAGA has taken over the Republican Party. I am writing this to ask my fellow Democrats and all patriotic Republicans to vote for Dan Newhouse this November.
I am a Democrat, and I am going to vote for Newhouse for Congress for the 4th District this November. I have never voted for him before, but I have met with him and his staff to advocate for his support, and he has always been gracious and respectful and true to his conservative positions. I particularly appreciate his courage and integrity when he voted for the impeachment of Trump and his bipartisan efforts to legislate solutions.
As the primary has demonstrated, this cost Newhouse many votes from the Republican Party. I want you to know that I appreciate his long service to Benton County, and I am going to vote for him this November. Our democracy needs a conservative party and their commitment to family values, a strong military, economic strength and patriotism, but I object to MAGA Republicans and their lack of these values, obstructionism, failure to compromise and to pass any legislation.
Stan Moon, Richland
Sessler peddled flopped franchises
In a promotional ad in 2014, Jerrod Sessler wrote, “I do not want to see our military veterans coming home to simple, low-pay positions, doing menial tasks when they are trained and able to do so much more. Franchising offers this meaningful opportunity for veterans.”
Sessler was referring to his business, HomeTask, Inc., then located in Burien. He was trying to entice veterans to sign up for a handyman franchise with HomeTask and offered them a $5,000 discount to the licensing fee.
Sessler advertised HomeTask as a “multi-brand franchisor of six home services concepts [with] over 200 locations nationwide.” This was a gross exaggeration, but the point is that the franchising “concepts” Sessler was offering veterans (and anyone else desperate enough to sign up to the draconian franchise agreement), did in fact entail, “low-pay positions, doing menial tasks.” In addition to repairing clogged drains and leaking toilets, Sessler promoted; a poop scooping franchise, a landscaping business, plumbing and food delivery franchise concepts.
All of Sessler’s franchise brands have been dissolved, and HomeTask as a franchisor, appears kaput.
Sessler is now running for Congress in the 4th District. As a veteran myself, I‘ll stick with Newhouse.
Richard Badalamente, Kennewick
Choose write-in for 4th District
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s recent filing with the D.C. District Court outlines the multi-faceted plot by former President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election:
- Try to influence election officials by falsely claiming voter fraud.
- Failing that, plot to submit false and illegal alternate elector certificates from several battleground states.
- Failing that, urge supporters to go to D.C. to storm the Capitol, intimidating Congress into declaring him the winner of an election that he clearly lost.
Jerrod Sessler was one of those who traveled to D.C. with the intent to threaten Congress. He originally said that he watched from his hotel room. Video of him with the insurrection crowd behind him calls that account into question. Now he says that he didn’t enter the Capitol. That’s like Bill Clinton’s, “but I didn’t inhale,” marijuana use defense.
Electing Sessler to Congress from the 4th Congressional District would place an insurrectionist inside the halls of Congress.
Incumbent Dan Newhouse has lost his base because of his brave vote to impeach Trump. He is unlikely to beat Sessler. There is only one way to keep Sessler from representing the 4th District.
Write-in Cherissa Boyd for 4th District representative on your ballot.
Richard Reuther, Kennewick
Presidential picks clearly different
Our presidential candidates differ in many respects.
Harris vows to represent all Americans. Trump vows further revenge on those who have opposed him.
Harris promises women nationwide the right to abortion. Trump promises to be their “protector” despite the jury finding that he sexually assaulted a woman and the similar claims by 25 others.
Harris and her Jewish husband have deep Jewish ties. Trump referred to some of the anti-Jewish marchers in Charlotteville as “very fine people.”
Harris’ strong record of supporting veterans is well-established. Trump has long disparaged those killed and wounded, calling them “suckers.”
Harris promises moderate tax increases on the wealthy. Trump promises to cut their taxes, exacerbating our nation’s growing wealth inequality.
Rural Republican counties have become increasingly poor and dependent on government largess. They would receive greater benefits under Harris’ safety-net, job-growth, and infrastructure programs.
Harris is planning relatively small, strategic increases in tariffs. Trump’s much larger and widespread increases would be similar to those that precipitated global retaliation and the Great Depression.
Harris intends to sign the 2023 border bill, a conservative plan to stem illegal immigration. Trump undermined this bipartisan bill and now baselessly claims that Haitian immigrants are eating cats and dogs.
Russ Treat, Richland