LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
One of the pitfalls for any politician is inflating or misunderstanding their mandate. The President has fallen into this pit.
President Trump repeatedly talks about his mandate, and it is true that he received more votes than Harris. It is also true he did not receive a majority of votes cast. Forty-nine point eight percent of the vote is not a ringing endorsement for radical change.
It is also true that the Republicans hold both houses. A four vote majority in the 435 member House is hardly a landslide. Neither is a two or three vote majority in the Senate.
Despite these thin margins, President Trump insists he has a mandate. The other day he said the American people had “signed up” for his changes.
Well, not really. We knew he liked tariffs, but did we sign up for a trade war with the world? Did we even sign up for a trade war with Canada?
It is true he said he would remove all illegals from the nation. It may even be we believed he would remove the equivalent of the population of New York City from the country. Did we agree to the ruthless cruelty of his first steps, including snatching men off the streets to send them to our rented gulag in El Salvador with no ability to defend themselves?
Did we sign up for the careless gutting of government agencies, the attacks on universities, the alienation of our allies? I certainly did not, and I do not think a large majority of Americans did either.
We must remind the President and our representatives that he does not have a huge mandate. If we fail to do that only the good Lord knows what cruel horrors we will find we “signed up for.”
Charles ONeil San Marcos
