We are in the midst of the worst pandemic in more than 100 years with over 200,000 deaths; horrendous fires raged in California, Oregon and Washington; the economy teeters on the brink. Meanwhile, President Trump was at a rally in Nevada with massive crowds (over the state and federal guidelines) with mostly mask-less people leading the crowd in chants of “Lock him up!,” referring to President Barack Obama.

Let that sink in. Now ask yourself: Can America withstand four more years of Donald Trump? Absolutely not. America is better than Trump.

No one can convince Trump’s hard-core base to give up on their fuhrer, er, leader. They’ve drunk the Kool Aid. Everything Trump says is true; everything else is “fake news.” Luckily, Trump’s rabid cult encompasses only about 35 percent of the population at most.

So here’s my take on the numbers. Hard-core Trump supporters: 35 percent; hard-core Trump haters: 45 percent. That leaves 20 percent undecided. This article is directed at the undecided group.

Consider science. Trump downplayed the corona virus even though he knew it was lethal. He told Bob Woodward that he didn’t want to spread fear among the public. Yet in his rallies he tries to do just that, claiming that the country would go to hell if Biden is elected. Trump consistently refutes health officials in his own government who give statements based on science; then he tries to bully them into submission.

Trump denies climate change, stating that it was not the cause, for example, of the fires in the northwest, assuring Americans that things will get cooler. The Scientific American magazine recently came out endorsing Joe Biden, the magazine’s first-ever presidential endorsement, because “Trump rejects science and evidence.” The American public can take the truth, Mr. President, but we can’t take your lies. America is better than that.

Consider the military. Trump dodged the draft because of “bone spurs.” He claims to love the military, yet he disparaged Vietnam War hero John McCain for getting captured. Even worse, it recently came to light — and confirmed by several sources — that Trump has referred to veterans as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump has no allegiance to the military or to anyone else outside himself or his immediate family. America deserves a patriotic Commander in Chief.

Consider Trump’s allegiance to dictators. When it came to light that Russia had paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing Americans and other allied service members in Afghanistan, Trump did nothing to investigate these charges or demand a retaliation. For whatever reason, Trump never dares to take on Putin. After Saudi Arabia masterminded the brutal slaying of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and American journalist, Trump ordered no retaliation that might upset his buddy, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Consider Attorney General William Barr. Since assuming the office, Bill Barr has brazenly and willingly served as Trump’s Roy Cohn and fixer, working on behalf of Trump, not the American public. Sixty-five faculty members — an astounding 80% of the faculty — at the George Washington University Law School, Barr’s alma mater, wrote a joint letter noting that Barr has “failed to fulfill his oath of office by undermining the rule of law and breaching the Constitution.” America deserves better than Trump, a tin pot dictator. America deserves a leader who will abide by the Constitution.

Consider, too, how many of Trump’s political aides have been charged with or convicted of felonies: Michael Cohen (tax fraud, lying to Congress) Paul Manafort and Rick Gates (several financial crimes), Roger Stone (obstruction, witness tampering, lying to Congress), Michael Flynn (lying to the FBI) and Steve Bannon (fraud), among others. That said, Trump is in good company when it come to being a grifter. He paid only $750 in taxes in 2016 ad 2017 and appears to be millions of dollars in debt. His “I’m a great businessman” claim has been blown up.

Consider Karma. Trump , who now has he virus, has mocked people who wear masks since the beginning of this pandemic. At the first Presidential debate in Cleveland, Trump made fun of Biden for wearing a mask. Moreover, Trump’s immediate family refused to wear masks even though masks were “required” at the facility. Closer to home, at a fundraiser in Maine attended by Donald Trump, Jr., photos revealed crowds packed closely together and not wearing masks. Call it entitlement swaddled in ignorance and infused with arrogance.

There’s not enough space in this column to address other salient issues, such as the disparaging comments that retired generals have made about Trump or the fake Trump University and the fake Trump Foundation or Trump’s ugly comments regarding peaceful protestors or his constant bullying and belittling of the press. That probably doesn’t matter since most Americans — and readers of this column — have made up their minds about Trump’s personal qualities and character. I just hope and pray that enough voters who pulled the lever for this con man in 2020, will make the right choice, the patriotic choice, in November. Our nation’s very democracy rests on the upcoming election. America is better than Trump.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.

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