There are many reasons to be angry at my fellow Americans who elected Donald Trump.
In two weeks, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have shown they are hellbent on destroying our country – and don’t seem to care about the checks and balances that are in place to protect us all.
What’s most shocking is that no one appears to be doing anything to stop them.
If you voted for Trump, and I am distant, it’s because I am angry.
I’m most angry at the people who voted for him that still support him despite his recent actions.
Trump is moving forward with actions detrimental to our country because he believes he has a mandate from voters to do the things he campaigned on. He got less than 50 percent of the vote but is doing everything in his power to further divide our nation.
“When did America become a place where people cheer when federal employees lose their jobs, or when immigrants get arrested, or when kids are too scared to go to school, or when their neighbors lose public assistance? What’s wrong with these people?”
I read this post on Facebook, and I will repeat it. What’s wrong with you America?
Some of the reasons I am angry
- Immigration: I have friends who are here legally on asylum from Venezuela. Homeland Security has lifted asylum protections for Venezuela, and I worry deeply about their safety and future. We’ve all seen photos of immigrants being rounded up and shackled and put on planes for deportation. I fear this talk of no due process for people who are legally here.
- LGBTQ: I have friends who have a son who is trans. He has been receiving gender-affirming care and legally changed his name about two years ago. He is under the age of 19. What will this executive order and actions by UVA Health and VCU Health do to him? Everyone in the LGBTQ community is scared. Allies are scared. No one knows what Trump is capable of or where he will stop.
- Education: I have friends with children on IEPs and if the Department of Education goes away, they could lose the specialized educational plans their kids rely on. I also have friends who are reading specialists at schools whose jobs may be eliminated without the Department of Education.
- Safety: Jan. 6ers were released from prison – hundreds of officers were injured and five died – yet every single one of them were pardoned. This is dangerous. This kind of action empowers people. We have a neighbor who is a Trumper and has threatened our lives because they don’t like our political leanings. Will this empower them to now kill us – and think their buddy Trump will pardon them too?
- DEI: When 67 people were killed due to a plane crash in D.C., Trump blamed DEI, Obama and Biden. He didn’t take responsibility for freezing all hiring, offering buyouts or firing key people in the aviation industry. And most importantly, he spent the majority of the press conference talking about how the FAA hired people with dwarfism, mental health issues, etc. He had an opportunity here to show sympathy for the lives lost and instead used the tragedy to push his agenda.
- I have friends who work for nonprofits whose jobs could be in jeopardy due to actions by Trump.
- I have friends who work for the government whose jobs may be eliminated.
- I have friends who receive SNAP and other benefits who now worry about their future and if they will be able to put food on their table.
- I have friends who are pregnant, and I worry about their options if anything goes wrong with their pregnancy.
So yes, I am angry. You voted for a man that could put my friends in shackles and deport them for no reason. You voted for a man who supports violent men and women and could lead to people dying, and yes, that person could be me.
More reasons I am angry
All of this is being done without Congress or anyone else’s involvement. Trump is signing executive orders and daring people, institutions and foreign governments to challenge him.
People are saying he can’t do that, and Trump is saying, oh, yes I can, watch me. Yes, these things will face legal challenges, but those things will take time. In the meantime, Trump and Elon’s actions are pure chaos.
Elon and his team have now illegally accessed the nation’s payment systems. He has access to every American’s SSN, address, etc. and he can single-handedly decide who gets payments and who doesn’t going forward.
Trump and Elon have shut down USAID, an agency established by Congress for disaster assistance.
I am angry that our elected Democrats – Tim Kaine and Mark Warner – aren’t doing more to stop this corruption and they are voting in favor of people not qualified for key government positions. They will be held accountable by voters.
There are supposed to be checks and balances in government, but Trump is acting like a dictator. He is doing what he wants, when he wants and without any regard to the law and Constitution.
This is dangerous.
I am not proud of my fellow Americans. I am especially disappointed in those who continue to defend Trump despite the unlawful actions he is taking through Elon Musk and these executive orders. ‘
You are on the wrong side of history.
If Trump wants to get things done, he should follow the law. It may take more time, but it’s the right way to get things done.
Two weeks in, and one can only wonder what is next.
Republicans now control both sides of Congress, but the margin is thin. We have to demand that legislators stop Trump.
We have to hope that the Supreme Court, largely Trump appointees, will have a conscious and do what is right for Americans when ruling on many of these issues that will likely reach their court.
We cannot be paralyzed in fear.
Every single one of us must do what we can to make sure our voices are heard and demand accountability.
We must speak up.
Now.
This is a national emergency.
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Crystal Graham
