Presidential Standards and Loyalty

by Will Espero

Deja Vu. It seems like the same song and dance.

When Donald Trump lost in the 2020 election, he whined and complained like a sore loser. Fraud. Cheating. Political Corruption. Conspiracy.

He should not have lost, Trump claimed. And his supporters and some cowardly Republican lawmakers went along.

Here we are now after a guilty verdict by a New York jury in the hush money case involving Stormy Daniels, the owner of the National Enquirer, and Michael Cohen (Trump’s fixer).

The same noise after the results: corruption, fraudulent decisions, political retribution, falsehoods.

Sound familiar? Despite what Trump thinks, he lost his trial and has brought dishonor to the office of the presidency.

Donald Trump is the first former president of the United States to be found guilty of three felonies.

Trump committed adultery prior to being in elective office and paid a porn star for her silence so the immoral act would not be public before the 2016 presidential election.

His staff and friends went along, and guess what? Trump won the election. American history was manipulated and redirected, and a white-collar criminal, Donald Trump, was elected president.

In my humble opinion, had this information been public prior to the 2016 elections, Trump would have never won the presidency.

Some may disagree with me, but I truly believe the majority of American voters would not have voted for a man who cheated on his wife and tried to cover up the incident in a criminal way.

Sentencing will be on July 11, and jail time is a long-shot possibility. Trump was very critical of the judge who would decide Trump’s fate so anything from probation to prison time may happen.

Despite the historical outcome of the trial, Trump’s supporters are still rabidly loyal to the candidate.

Trump has been a master at raising millions from his supporters, and he certainly wasted no time to do it again to help cover his costs and expenses.

Money makes a big difference, and Trump has used his experiences, whether good or bad, to garner financial support from his allies.

He’s certainly not shy about asking for millions, which he knows he needs and can easily get.

We all have our faults, and no one is perfect.

But in the past, when talking or writing about the president of the United States of America, a criminal record was certainly grounds for elimination as a credible leader of the free world. Not anymore.

The dumbing-down of the president is lowering the standards we once held for this office.

For some, winning is everything, and since Trump is doing well in the polls, he should continue to be the GOP standard-bearer, they say.

It appears Republicans have put Trump’s sins, indiscretions, foul mouth, exaggerations, lies, bad behavior, and criminal actions aside for another chance at the White House.

This is the new Republican Party of America.

No need for a role model for our children. No need for a person with good character. No need for an individual the world could look to with respect.

The GOP wants a winner to carry out its policies and keep the federal courts conservative. It looks like the Republican candidate for president of the United States will be a convicted felon.

Welcome to the 2024 elections. What a shame.

Loyalty is a characteristic many of us admire. Loyalty to family, friends, a school, or an employer are common.

Political loyalty is also an important attribute that could be based on strength, popularity, power, and perception.

In the case of Trump, his supporters have proven their loyalty year after year even as the negative press and stories have mounted. As the 2024 election nears, Trump is banking on his loyal followers to propel him to victory.

In our nation, where a two-party system dominates our politics, loyalty is essential for both parties.

Primaries are conducted, and the strongest candidate emerges. Thus, the loyalty-to-party trait is engaged, and Donald Trump remains standing. As a former president, he will be formidable.

I get it. That’s the way our process works. The upcoming historic campaign will pit a convicted felon and well-known adulterer who was once president against an elderly president whom some think should retire due to his age.

It will be a brutal and harsh campaign by both sides as independents and undecided watch and observe. Their votes will determine the outcome as millions of dollars are spent in battleground states.

If you are one of the undecided, it will be paramount to read campaign literature, view the news, watch the debates, talk to others, and not believe everything you see on social media.

Fake news, fraudulent accounts, foreign adversaries, and simply bad people will attempt to sway your vote and affect the election results.

Check the information. There will be truth and facts in the public domain, but it’s up to the voters to utilize their best instincts and knowledge to elect the most powerful leader in the free world.|

WILL ESPERO retired from the Hawaii legislature after serving 19 years in the state House of Representatives and state Senate. He is currently a novelist, poet, and supporter of the arts. Lingering Thoughts provides a glimpse of his perspective on current events and issues.