Letter: With Trump as president, a comedy could turn to tragedy
The anger of voters left out of the economic recovery has propelled Donald Trump to be the nominee of the Republican Party. For those Republicans unnerved by their party’s nominee saying, “I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me,” or his ban on Muslims entering the United States, which would require a religious test at point of entry, the source of your unease is a Republican Congress that prevented passage of legislation addressing the lack of jobs in the sector of the population that supports his presidency. One example is President Obama’s $447 billion package of measures that included the creation of an infrastructure bank creating thousands of jobs paid for by higher taxes on rich Americans and corporations.
The prospect of a Trump presidency has drawn comparisons to Italy’s former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Like Berlusconi, Trump exploits disgust with politics as usual and fashions himself as a bold exception to the professional political class.
Berlusconi’s escapades made the Italians the brunt of jokes. Berlusconi was a bit player on the world stage. With Trump in the title role, a comedy could turn to tragedy. Schadenfreude from a Trump presidency should be the least of our concerns.
Mickey Beary, Richland
This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 2:52 AM with the headline "Letter: With Trump as president, a comedy could turn to tragedy."