It isn’t a classified memo, but I’m sure Donald Trump didn’t want me, or any other progressive Democrat for that matter, to get my hands on this letter.
The letter from “President Donald J. Trump” was sent to my father. My father, aged 94, has been a life-long loyal Republican, in spite of the fact he married a liberal Democrat. My mom always had a passion for politics and even ran for the State House of Representatives in an ultra-conservative Republican district in Greenville, South Carolina. She won, in spite of the fact she was a liberal Jewish Democrat from New York. My Dad boasted she was the only Democrat he ever voted for. My Dad was a Republican for the same reason he was a Dodger baseball fan. It didn’t matter that the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to L.A. or that he was a fan when Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax played decades ago. As far as my father was concerned, once a Dodger fan, always a Dodger fan. Likewise, once a Republican, always a Republican.
But since my father is now in a nursing home the letter from Trump got opened by me, as I had agreed to go through his mail to pay his bills. Although my first temptation was to throw it away, like staring at a wreck along the highway, I wasn’t able to look away.
I can’t decide if the letter and the enclosed survey is infuriating or hilarious, or simultaneously both. But since I often stand holding the above sign at rallies and afterwards put it in the rear window of my blue Prius, at least I can take comfort in knowing that my bold claim, “Trump Don’t Give a Damn about Anybody but Trump!” rings true. Moreover, reading this letter, it is difficult to tell whether Donald is simply lying or delusional.
Dear Fellow American,
I need your help and I need it now.
The Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media are working overtime to derail our agenda and destroy my Presidency. They are doing everything they possibly can to discredit me with false accusations by spreading their fake news and making it appear that I do not have the support of America’s voters by flaunting bogus polls on a daily basis.
The truth is that in my first year of office, I have made tremendous progress in turning our country around from the ruinous path Barack Obama put us on.
Yet as my Administration continues to work 24/7 to boost America’s economy, create jobs, reduce the size and scope of government, restore our values and freedoms, and strengthen our national security, there are still powerful forces working against us.
The Democrats—and their allies in the mainstream media—fight us every step of the way. They try their best to obstruct, derail, and destroy any progress we are making. And they use every trick in the book to sell the American people on their costly and divisive agenda.
The bottom line: They want me to fail and have our nation return to the disastrous policies of Barack Obama.
That’s not going to happen. Not on my watch. Up against my opponents’ non-stop attacks, I am determined to prevail. Believe me—I’ll fight back. I have no problem standing up to my adversaries no matter what they do to try and take me down.
But I can’t win this battle alone. We won the White House by building a great grassroots movement—by listening to hard-working men and women all across the country—and it is critical that we continue those efforts.
That is why I am personally reaching out to you today and asking you to complete and return the enclosed 2018 MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN SURVEY that’s registered in your name.
Your answers will guide my policies and actions as I keep fighting for the commonsense solutions to keep our nation on a prosperous and secure path.
The last two above paragraphs are bogus bullshit. Everyone should know that such surveys are not designed to obtain feedback from survey-takers. The survey is included because it is known that anyone who fills out such a survey is far more likely to donate money. (Social Psychologists call this the Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon.) This becomes even more evident when you notice the questions are contrived to elicit a specific answer—the response that glorifies Trump. Of the 35 survey questions to be answered I shall include one example of a typical loaded question, # 6 under domestic issues:
6. The Trump White House has already taken giant steps toward scaling back federal government regulations that work to stifle economic growth. Do you believe they should continue to eliminate job-destroying regulations that were created by Barack Obama?
Back to the letter:
By joining in this project with me today, you can help ensure the Democrats do not undermine our American First Agenda as they ruthlessly continue with their crusade of deception and misinformation in their all-out effort to capture control of Congress in the midterm elections and the Presidency in 2020.
So please, after you have finished reading my letter, take a few moments to complete your MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN SURVEY and mail it back to me as soon as you can.
When you return your Survey, I ask you to take one additional step and continue your support by joining me as a core member of my 2020 re-election team by also sending in a generous contribution of $35, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000, or even $5000 to me today.
Conducting this survey about the direction of our country is essential to my getting input directly from you and other Americans.
And it’s something the Democrats rarely do. They can’t tolerate ideas that are contrary to their socialist beliefs. They have no interest in listening to the people in solving our nation’s problems or in advancing an agenda that would reflect the feelings and needs of the majority of voters. Their three-part national strategy can be summed up as: LIE…ATTACK…and OBSTRUCT.
It’s important to understand that in every effort my opponent make to take me down—they are working to take YOU and our country down as well.
This SURVEY is designed to get your feedback on the critical issues we face as a nation. We will share its results with our Congressional Leaders and other elected Republicans to make sure your voice is heard and that we stay on track to deliver the critical change our nation so desperately needs.
[Did you notice Donald assumes only “elected Republicans” are “our Congressional Leaders” and that elected Democrats are not.]
In my campaign for the White House, I made it clear I was going to go all-out to Make America Great Again—by draining the swamp in Washington and fighting for lower taxes, smaller government, fiscal discipline, secure borders, quality health care, conservative judges, a stronger military, and unbridled freedom.
At this point Trump lists six important issues:
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Jobs and the Economy
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National Security
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Strengthening America’s Military
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Immigration Reform
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Appointing Conservative Judges
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Less Government Across the Board
Other than stating the issue in a vague manner devoid of any way to resolve them, he concludes with a loaded question asking if things should be better. Rarely does he propose any program or solution, but when he does, (such as build the border wall) it would only make the problem worse, not better. Because reading them all only numbs one’s brain until it is hard to think straight, (perhaps this is intentional) I shall quote only one of the six, chosen by a random roll of a die:
Appointing Conservative Judges — The appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court last year was just the start of our efforts to build a federal court system with men and women who will strengthen—not erode—our Nation’s core Constitutional rights. Do you agree that our courts must stand in the forefront of protecting America’s founding principles?
These are all serious issues that affect your everyday life. That is why it is important for me to know what YOU think. So please submit your answers in the next ten days.
At this point I shall refrain from quoting from much more of the four-page letter. After this, Donald starts repeating himself ad nauseam. He will mention 2018 MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN SURVEY four more times. He will ask for money in the same denominations as before three more times. He will blame the “obstructionist Democrats and malicious media” at least two more times. One or two brief paragraphs sum up the rest of the letter:
As I confront—as WE—confront the never-ending attacks by the Democrats, the liberal media, and radical elements in our society who are determined to inflict great harm on our economy, our values, and our freedoms, we must stand strong.
I need you with me—every step of the way.
Please let me hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
Author’s note: Recommending this diary should not mean you agree with the paranoid fictitious diatribe allegedly written by Trump to his mindless base. Rather it should only mean you believe exposing this letter to progressive Kos readers will somehow hasten the day Trump is no longer in the Oval Office. On the other hand, I welcome as many comments as possible, as I am still not sure what to make of Trump’s begging for money from his base. His letter reminds me of amoral millionaire televangelists who squeeze money out of their poor faithful followers in order to only increase their own prestige and opulence.