To the editor:
Should it not be a major concern that former President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly stated, unequivocally, that if he is re-elected president as a result of the upcoming 2024 election, that he promises to "vastly expand the powers of the presidency," revealing that, if such were to occur, he obviously plans to rule our great nation more like a dictator or, perhaps, a king?
Also, Trump has revealed that, if re-elected, he plans to reconstruct the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to the point where they, as well as other governmental entities, will no longer be independent, but will essentially be empowered simply to do his bidding, as he, reportedly, plans to fire or reclassify approximately 50,000 civil servants and replace them with Trump loyalists, who will then be assigned to harass his political adversaries.
In addition, Trump has stated that he plans to end all U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression and to withdraw the United States from NATO, the world's largest peacekeeping and humanitarian organization.
This should come as no surprise, as Trump has continuously praised the world's most heinous dictators, including Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong Un of North Korea, as well as the monarchs of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, while severely criticizing democratic leaders of the world, including many who have served as our long-standing allies.
Also, recently, Trump stated on Fox News that major U.S. adversary President Xi Jinping, the dictator of China, "runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist, and is smart, brilliant and everything perfect." Such are the words and sentiments of a would-be dictator, and not a freedom-loving American.
In addition, Trump has routinely praised historically evil dictators such as Adolph Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, making his presumed ultimate intentions ever more clear.
Also, Trump has, reportedly, long admired disgraced former President Richard M. Nixon, with whom he had a respectful, close relationship until Nixon's death in 1994, employing Nixon's close personal confidant, Roger Stone, in a similar capacity in his (Trump's) pursuit of the presidency, as well as during his tenure in the White House, whom Trump pardoned following his conviction of committing crimes on behalf of Trump while he was in office.
Sadly, it appears that our future as a free, democratic society may all be placed in serious jeopardy should Trump be returned to the position of chief executive of our great country, as he has made it quite clear as to his intentions if he should be returned to power.
Richard Hord
Martins Ferry