Cannon: Trump blues? Take a breath

I, along with many of my friends and family members, have some level of these feelings in reaction to the Nov. 5 election of Donald Trump to be president of the United States.”

Dan Cannon is a resident of Seaford.

Are you feeling blue? Sad? Depressed? Anxious? Scared?

I, along with many of my friends and family members, have some level of these feelings in reaction to the Nov. 5 election of Donald Trump to be president of the United States.

Of course, there is a firm basis for all the angst. Just review a listing of some of Trump’s critics’ worries:

• Former Vice President Mike Pence has “accused Trump of being reckless and putting himself over the Constitution.”
• Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton said, “Donald Trump will cause a lot (of) damage if he is elected to a second term.”
• James Comey, former FBI director, said of Trump: “Our president must embody respect and adhere to the values that are at the core of this country, the most important being truth. This president (Trump) is not able to do that.”
• Former Trump secretary of defense Mark Esper’s assessment of Trump: “I think he’s unfit for office. … He puts himself before country. His actions are all about him and not about the country.”

These are serious, almost all Republican people with serious concerns. They echo some of my feelings that Trump has nothing but disdain for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law.

Moreover, Trump has threatened retaliation/retribution, including the use of National Guard and/or military troops inside the U.S.

A poignant question faces us all: What may happen with Trump in charge?

At this point in time, I suggest that everyone take a collective deep breath and look to some semi-immediate signs/signals (think canaries in a coal mine) of the depth/breadth of Trump intentions and tactics:

• Will partisan Matt Gaetz be confirmed by the Senate as attorney general?
• Will vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. be confirmed as secretary of health and human services by the Senate?
• Will Trump fire or force the resignation of the current FBI director to nominate a partisan for confirmation by the Senate?
• Will Trump wrest control of the Senate nominations’ approval through recess appointments?

Several of Trump’s nominees are unqualified, partisan Trump loyalists who have major (and, I suggest, vengeful) axes to grind by trashing the branch of the government they would “lead.”

If the U.S. Senate confirms unqualified Trump partisans, those of us now taking deep breaths will need to do some serious reevaluation of our patience. But, if Trump bypasses the Senate’s “advise and consent” role by making “recess appointments,” all bets on trusting patience will be off.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.