The Choice Could Not Be Any Clearer
100 Reasons Why Kamala Harris Must Defeat Donald Trump
Many moons ago I considered myself a Republican. For years, I felt a kinship with centrist, socially liberal, and libertarian-leaning Republicans. I thought the party stood tall on the dimensions of being pro-business and supporting capitalist ideals. I credited Reagan Republicanism with bringing about the demise of the Cold War, which was arguably the greatest geopolitical upheaval of my lifetime.
While I still bear sympathy to certain traditionally “right of center” policy positions, the Republican Party today feels like something that is wholly disconnected from the principles and leaders that once proudly took up the mantle of the “Grand Old Party” and the “Party of Lincoln.” My last vestiges of Republican voting inclinations flew straight out the window in 2016 with the onset of “MAGA” Trumpism. Beyond the widening gap in policy differences, I simply have not been able to wrap my head around the cultish attraction to Trump. On both his personality and his political agenda, he fails me at nearly every turn. I have opposed him since he descended his golden escalator to declare his first run for the White House, but the more I have seen and heard over the years, the more infuriated I have become.
While I don't expect that this blog will necessarily reach any undecided “swing state” voter at this late stage, at least as a form of personal therapy I felt that I had to get a few things off my chest… It actually took some restraint to keep this to “only” 100 reasons why Kamala Harris must defeat Donald Trump. So here it is:
I have never been a believer in the use of unfounded hyperbolic labels, but if Donald Trump doesn’t personify the very definition of fascism, then I don’t know who does.
According to his very own longest-serving Chief of Staff, General John Kelly, Trump has sung the praises of Hitler’s Generals and said “Hitler did some good things.”
He has commended neo-Nazi white nationalists chanting “the Jews will not replace us” as “very fine people.”
There has never been a serious (or even an unserious) presidential candidate who has come close to Trump in his sheer disdain and disrespect for military veterans, including POWs. He has called them “suckers” and “losers” and said of one of the greatest of all American military heroes, the late Sen. John McCain, “I like people who weren’t captured.” He later used the most hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery to stage an illegal photo opportunity that resulted in his staff allegedly committing assault against cemetery staff members.
Trump has been a race baiter for decades, from defaming five innocent Black men, known as the Central Park Five aka Exonerated Five, to blowing the dog whistle in claiming for years without a shred of evidence that President Barack Obama was not a native born US citizen (i.e. birtherism).
He declared Judge Curiel inherently partial and biased against him simply because the judge was of Mexican-American descent. A more overt case of racism toward Hispanics there could not be.
Donald Trump is a convicted felon 34 times over. Absolutely unprecedented for someone with such political power.
A jury has found the man liable for sexual abuse, for goodness sake!
He openly mocked a disabled journalist.
The man has used his power at the helm of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA competitions to creep around in girls’ dressing rooms and act as pervy as he could get away with.
Trump has a long and well documented history of using violent rhetoric in his political campaign speeches. Is it any wonder why political discourse has taken a dark turn since his emergence over the past decade?
Trump inherited more than $400 million from his father and used this as the basis of creating the deception of being a brilliant businessman. The evidence proves contrary as Trump would have become a richer man than he is had he done nothing other than simply investing the cash into the S&P 500 index.
The “business genius” has filed for bankruptcy on six occasions. Would anyone hire someone with this track record to manage a business, let alone become the most powerful country on earth?
The Art of Deception. Trump has not actually written any of “his” books such as “The Art of the Deal,” having hired ghost writers to pen virtually every word.
Trump lies and deceives with impunity. By one account, he made over 30,000 false or misleading statements over the course of his presidency. As Lenin suggested, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” Hence, one of the greatest con artists the human race has ever seen.
He has been well known for cheating at golf for decades. Cheating is simply in his blood.
The Access Hollywood tapes. “Grab ‘em by the…” When you’re a celebrity, they let you do anything…
A swindler of the highest order, Trump has made an art form out of stiffing contractors and using his powerful name and wealth to take advantage of business partners and suppliers.
As president, Trump weaponized the Department of Justice against his adversaries. Read the book Revenge by his former “fixer” Michael Cohen to understand the full, unvarnished truth.
Donald Trump was impeached for attempting to commit extortion, for political purposes, against Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy. It is well worth watching this documentary “From Russia With Lev” to witness the full extent of Trump's shameless behavior.
He recklessly mismanaged Covid pandemic, leading to 1.2 million American deaths, the most documented of any country on earth.
During Covid, Trump rejected masks and failed to adequately communicate the need for vaccines.
He further rejected scientific evidence by promoting conspiracy theories and urging his followers to take an unproven therapeutic drug (Ivermectin) and inject bleach!
Trump obstructed $20 billion of Hurricane Maria relief aid for Puerto Rico.
He stated that he wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland!
As president, Trump insulted hurricane victims by chucking paper towels at them on a visit to Puerto Rico to presumably help in its aftermath.
Trump’s number one 2016 campaign issue was to build a wall on the border of Mexico and have them pay for it. How did that work out?
Trump kept his promise to cut taxes for billionaires, ballooning the deficit all that much more.
His abortion bans have caused loss of life and are preventing doctors from providing the best care possible to their patients. He is an old white man who likes to control women and the choices that they make with their bodies. Trump has never cared about “protecting life” and says he’ll do what he thinks is right for women “whether they like it or not.”
Trump’s Supreme Court has stripped away rights that US citizens have taken for granted for decades while making the President immune from whatever nefarious, self-serving activity they may have in mind. This is how democracies die and authoritarian regimes come to power.
He boasted of writing “love letters” and “falling in love” with North Korea’s murderous dictator Kim Jong Un.
He killed the Iranian nuclear deal, endangering the US and its regional allies for many years if not decades to come.
Withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords, setting the fight against climate change back for the term of his administration.
Trump spoke a big game about passing an infrastructure bill, but it never got done until the Biden-Harris administration committed to working across the aisle and making it happen.
January 6th. Incited a violent mob to attempt to overturn more than 230 years of peaceful transfers of power that has allowed American democracy to survive. Per Benjamin Franklin, “a republic, if you can keep it.” Just barely…
The Big Lie. Trump has almost single-handedly created a mythology about US elections being systematically fraudulent, with nary a shred of evidence. Calling into question the legitimacy of elections is not only wrong, but it is extremely dangerous. Like a cult leader, many Trump followers will listen and believe this, facts be damned.
Trump hosted notorious anti-semite and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes at his home in Mar-a-Lago.
Only one other living Republican presidential or vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has endorsed Trump’s candidacy. The list of those turning away from Trump include Dan Quayle, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and his OWN VP, Mike Pence.
Trump committed to hiring only the “best people.” Those people who served as some of the most senior members of the administration have spoken out about Trump’s level of intelligence, comprehension, empathy, and authoritarian instincts, and have vowed to support Kamala Harris or not endorse their former boss. An unprecedented number of prominent Republicans are crossing party aisles and publicly endorsing Kamala Harris.
Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence said: “It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump.”
Trump’s former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley: Trump is “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person in the country.”
Trump’s former Chief of Staff General John Kelly: Trump is “a fascist” who praised Hitler.
Trump’s former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: “His understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of U.S. history was really limited.”
Trump’s former Secretary of Defense General James Mattis: “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.”
Trump's other former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Trump’s inclinations toward fascism: “It's hard to say that he doesn't, when you kind of look at those terms. But, he certainly has those inclinations.”
Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr: Trump “shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.”
Trump’s former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster: Trump’s boasts about being able to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours “a real myth – it’s a real misunderstanding of war.”
Another of his former National Security Advisors, John Bolton: “To be a fascist, you have to have a philosophy. Trump’s not capable of that.”
Trump’s Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats: “Trump has no moral compass and [can’t] shake the suspicion that Trump must be beholden to Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Along with Mattis and Tillerson, thought Trump was an “unstable threat to their country.”
Former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney: Trump “can never be trusted with power again.”
As Trump’s VP nominee, JD Vance is arguably the most inexperienced individual ever to grace a major party presidential ticket. His claim to fame was writing one best-selling memoir of his early years. From then, he became a puppet of billionaire Peter Thiel and was thrust into the spotlight as a result of Thiel’s financial commitment to put someone in high public office to represent his personal self interests.
Trump single-handedly killed the most far reaching immigration reform bill ever to be proposed by Congress.The bill was written by one of the most conservative Republican senators, received bipartisan support, but hit a dead end when Trump decided it would be more beneficial for him politically if the bill were not passed.
JD Vance has staked out a position as the most pro-Putin member of the United States Senate. His unwillingness to support Ukraine in its defense of its sovereign territory and innocent population, is as stunning as it is appalling.
Vance believes that you are less of a person if, for whatever reason, you cannot or choose not to have children.
The man who once said that Donald Trump was “America’s Hitler” is now standing right beside him as his running mate. Could anyone possibly demonstrate any less integrity or moral character than JD Vance?
The Trump campaign platforms speakers who actively utilize “jokes” about Latinos and Black people to incite the hateful rhetoric that plays to the lowest common denominator of American society.
Trump has effectively vowed upfront that he will not recognize the results of the 2024 elections unless he is the declared winner.
Trump talks with thinly veiled threats about “enemies from within” and has made even more violent threats about killing those who have criticized him, from Gen. Mark Milley to Liz Cheney.
He spews lies about schools conducting gender affirming surgeries on students without parental consent. Every word of that sentence is more absurd than the next…
Giving voice to white supremacy, Trump spreads racist, xenophobic debunked tropes about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets.
Trump would most likely appoint RFK Jr. to run the Department of HHS and other federal health agencies… a known vaccine denier, opponent of milk pasteurization, and all-around conspiracy theorist, with no training in science or medicine. Welcome back, measles and polio!
Obvious cognitive decline. One needn’t watch more than a few minutes of any recent Trump speech to understand.
His plans include the mass deportation of all undocumented workers, which may sound reasonable in theory, but would in fact be a catastrophe for our agriculture, construction, and service industries, particularly while we have record low 4% unemployment.
Tariffs on imported goods will raise prices for consumers by as much as 60%, which will trigger enormous inflation and break the backs of American consumers.
Trump has no meaningful proposals for stimulating small business growth or supporting entrepreneurs.
Have you ever seen the man actually laugh, even once?
Crime rates have come down under the Biden-Harris administration compared to Trump.
Unemployment has dropped from 7.8% to 4.1% over the past 48 months.
The Dow Jones stock market index has risen by more than 50% during the Biden-Harris administration.
The issue of Israel and Gaza requires balanced and nuanced perspective, as well as empathy. Trump likes authoritarian rulers and will blindly follow Netanyahu as long as he continues to pile on the flattery.
Donald Trump’s “plan” to end Russia’s war on Ukraine is to have Ukraine surrender its sovereign territory and allow its people to be subjugated by a tyrannical colonial dictator. Kamala Harris supports Ukraine and will continue to back funding and the support that is necessary for Ukraine to achieve victory and send a message to other dictators that seek to conquer foreign lands. Trump thinks it’s appropriate to allow Putin to do “whatever the hell he wants.” Neville Chamberlain, eat your heart out.
The man cozies up to brutal authoritarian dictators like Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Viktor Orban, but can barely bring himself to work collaboratively with actual democratic allies. He also has managed to repeatedly violate the Logan Act, forbidding private citizens from engaging in “diplomacy” with foreign leaders.
Trump is a natural grifter who can and will sell any dubious product or service in order to make a quick buck off of his gullible supporters.
Kamala Harris makes supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses one of the focal points of her campaign, and does so with a level of enthusiasm that has scarcely been seen by candidates of either major party in recent memory.
While naysayers slam “wokeness,” DEI, and the use of racial and gender identity in politics, representation in the real world still matters. If not, then is it simply an accident that the United States has had just one president of color, and not a single woman as president in its entire history? The glass ceiling has not yet shattered, regardless of what naysayers would have you believe.
The Harris-Walz ticket brings depth and diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, on the ticket. This includes the experience of a prosecutor, District Attorney, Attorney General, and US Senator from the largest state, matched with the experience of a farmer, social studies teacher, military officer, Congressman, and Midwestern Governor.
Kamala Harris seeks diverse perspectives and has committed to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet.
An unprecedented number of prominent former Republican officials have disassociated themselves with Trumpism and endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket.
After getting trounced in his debate with Kamala Harris, Trump refused to debate again. He claimed it was because early voting had already begun, yet this of course did not stop him from continuing to hold campaign rallies or sit down to talk with friendly interviewers.
Trump backed out of multiple interviews, including 60 Minutes, and refused to go on any program that would ask him tough questions.
The man has never admitted to being wrong or at fault about anything.
He has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), in a move that could leave millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, to be uninsured.
Trump committed to a new proposal to replace Obamacare when he first came to office. Eight years later, he still has nothing but “concepts of a plan.”
Kamala Harris will appoint competent individuals to her administration, while Trump will only appoint sycophants and yes men. He will have no guardrails against his worst instincts.
Trump has pitted Americans against each other to an extent not seen in generations.
DonOld says America is the “garbage can of the world.” In other words, he hates the country that he seeks to rule.
Trump has platformed and given voice and legitimacy to countless shameful, hateful individuals, from treasounous commentators like Tucker Carlson on down.
Trump has threatened to withdraw the US from NATO, the most powerful military alliance ever created.
Project 2025 would devastate action against climate change, erode public education, put the government in charge of personal health decisions, and send the economy into a tailspin.
DonOLD has taken gaslighting to a level that simply boggles the mind. He continuously shows what a truly small man he really is by projecting his own failings onto others and demonstrating sheer hypocrisy between one word and the next. Most shockingly, he has denounced violent rhetoric that has been directed his way, despite himself using more violent rhetoric toward his political opponents than nearly any serious American politician in modern times.
Kamala Harris will protect women’s reproductive rights.
She will support common sense gun control while still advocating for the right to bear arms.
The US economy under Biden-Harris is hitting on all cylinders, from recording stock market prices to 4% unemployment, 2% inflation, strong GDP growth, and low gas prices. America doesn’t need to be made “Great Again.” America is Great, period.
The Harris-Walz ticket will cut taxes for the vast majority of lower and middle income Americans.
Harris and Walz will protect Social Security, medicare and maintain commitments to seniors.
Harris advocates for home ownership access and affordability, something that doesn’t seem to ever have occurred to Donald Trump.
We will finally have common sense immigration reform, balancing the rule of law with the needs of the people and our economy.
Would you want your children to grow up emulating the behavior of Donald Trump?
We are the United States of America. Surely we can do better than elevating the values of racism, misogyny, xenophophobia, fascism, and threats of violence toward one’s enemy. Policies matter, but so do values and character. The American president must be someone who leads by example. Kamala Harris has a positive, reasonable, and inspiring visions for this country. I may or may not agree with all of her positions or decisions, but I can confidently say that I would be very proud to have my children grow up to have the intellect, determination, strength, and moral fabric that is embodied by Kamala Harris. Now LET’S F**KING GO!!!