Phil Spampinato is a resident of Dover.
Fifty years ago, the moviegoing world was mesmerized by “The Godfather” story. Don Vito Corleone, the head of a criminal organization, managed an enterprise that was focused on empire-building, often through the use of extortion. Unfortunately, the current presidency bears some uncomfortable similarities to “The Godfather” movies. Don Corleone showed us his early disdain for the law by combining bootlegging and illegal gambling with his olive oil business. Don Donald Trump made a much bigger attack on the law. He started his current term by pardoning nearly 1,600 criminals or those awaiting trial for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. In an effort to further his “Big Lie” that he didn’t lose the 2020 election, our current don pardoned and returned to society people charged or convicted of violently assaulting police officers, rape, sexually assaulting minors, domestic violence, manslaughter, production of child sexual abuse materials and drug trafficking. In his first official act, Don Trump said it doesn’t matter if law officers legally arrest you, if prosecutors successfully charge you or if courts officially convict you. Laws don’t matter; Don Trump is above the law.
Don Corleone was a master of the grift. Vito ran large-scale gambling operations, including bookmaking and casino-style games, when the house always won. Don Trump is a master of the graft. After being convicted of sexually abusing Jean Carroll, Trump tried to have the government take over the following trial, during which he was found guilty of defaming Carroll. He wanted the taxpayer to be responsible for his debt to her. Trump wants the government to work for him, not the people. His graft continues today. He first fired attorney general Pam Bondi, then he installed one of his cronies (Todd Blanche) to the position. He next sued his government (the people who work for him), but when the court case became shaky, Todd withdrew the case and awarded Trump a $1.8 billion slush fund he could give to the felons he pardoned, rewarding their loyalty. But Todd is not done. He also states that forevermore, Trump, his family and his business interests have IRS audit immunity, granting Trump, already convicted of felony falsifying business records, the opportunity to cheat on his taxes.
Don Trump regularly claims to be the first to do something. One thing he doesn’t mention is that he is the first president to hate the majority of voters. He hates Democrats (his words), and he hates anyone who opposes him (also his words). A recent Fox News poll shows that 56%-59% of voters oppose the way Trump is running the country. Trump’s hatred has a multiplier effect. When an influential person like the president says he hates a person or group, he gives permission to the haters in society to pile on.
In a January interview with The New York Times, Don Trump stated that he does not need international law, that he is bound only by his own morality. This is the morality of a convicted felon. His morality has led his U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to kill two citizen protesters who he labeled terrorists, then had the victims’ families investigated. When White supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting, “Jews will not replace us,” and one of their number drove into and killed an anti-protester, Trump called them “good people.” This is the morality the international world has to confront.
The truth is that, both domestically and internationally, Trump operates on his own, with little regard for his commitments or any laws. It’s not just that he ignores cost-of-living issues or fails to release all the Epstein files or starts a war. His administration breaks the law to achieve its goals, then goes to court — at taxpayers’ expense — to fight to avoid changing its illegal behavior. NATO countries, our strong allies before Trump, now face the dilemma that Trump wants a NATO member’s territory. What’s to stop him from taking it by force?
Like Vito Corleone, Trump has few challenges to his rule. This is where you come in. The most likely way to put some guardrails on Trump’s behavior is to get rid of a rubber-stamp Republican Congress. Voters need to stand up to the hatred and lawlessness by making Congress again a full member of our government that can stand up to Trump.
Don’t assume this will be easy. Trump continues to spew lies about voting in this country since he lost the 2020 election. While his administration found that Russia and Iran (not China) tried to interfere with the 2020 election, it concluded that both countries were ineffective. Despite this, Trump claims that China threatens the upcoming election. His administration has spent his current term looking for 2020 election fraud; it found none. Still, Trump continues to lie about election integrity. Where foreign nations have been unable to undermine U.S. elections, Trump has succeeded. Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said this about Trump’s lies: “Unfortunately, about half the Republicans in the country believe whatever he says.” To underscore the ability of Trump to convince Republicans of his lies, polls show that two-thirds of Republicans believe that the 2020 election was rigged (Trump lost), and over half believe that the 2024 election was free and fair (Trump won). Just 18 months later, Trump is telling Republicans that the same election system that put him in charge and that produced a free and fair election is full of fraud and abuse, and sadly, many easily influenced Republicans believe him.
Donald Trump is planning to rig the upcoming election to ensure that he stays in power. He has already initiated a gerrymandering scheme, purged the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission and threatened to jail state election officials. You can put guardrails on his administration by electing a Democratic Congress. Go to the polls. Don’t be deterred. Vote for change.
One final note: Trump continues to undermine the election process. His latest ploy is the “SAVE America Act” that is supposed to fix a broken election system that even his people have called the most secure in our history. Let me instead suggest another way to “save America.” All of us who pray, regardless of politics, should pray for America. Pray that we look for ways to agree and, yes, pray for President Trump.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
