Sen. Angus King’s 20-minute address to the Senate on Feb. 20 made Maine proud. Finally, there is public recognition that President Donald Trump has undermined our three branches of government in his quest to become a dictator and his recent declaration of “king.”

The reluctance of Congress to stand up for the Constitution, while relying on the courts to do their job, is the same “cop-out” that occurred during Trump’s first term, when Sen. Mitch McConnell and many other Republicans voted not to impeach, assuming the courts would hold him accountable for his illegal actions. That certainly didn’t work out as planned. We now have a convicted felon leading our country and alienating our allies.

The fact that Trump and his group of schoolyard bullies are using threats and bribery to bend our elected officials into submission is despicable. They were elected to protect our Constitution, not their party. In just a few short weeks, the steps this man has taken to completely dismantle our government and protections for our citizens are frightening. We all will be affected by his actions, and it will take generations to repair.

Relying on courts to overturn unconstitutional moves is not the answer. It is time for our elected officials to do their jobs. It is time they honor their oath to protect the Constitution and our democracy, even if it means personal loss.

Al and Pauline Huntley
South Portland