Dear Trump Fans: Your Hero is Giving Conservatism a Bad Name

Dear Ardent Supporters of Mr. Donald Trump, 

I can’t believe this is the second time in almost a month that I’m having to write about this lunatic. Truly, if it wasn't for his recent baffling surge in the polls, I wouldn’t even be giving this blustering buffoon another thought. The amount of coverage, airtime and soundbites the media has dedicated to an arrogant, blubbering, blonde combover-sporting narcissistic nitwit is beyond comprehension. Of course, they wouldn’t be covering him if he wasn’t out there shooting off his mouth and acting like a drama queen in front of every camera and every crowd. I suppose that’s what passes for news these days. 

Anyway, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Trump’s latest foot-in-mouth gaffe came in the form of a personal attack on Senator John McCain, in which Trump slammed the former POW for being captured during the Vietnam War, saying: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” 

As is usually the case with The Donald, the wording here is rather incoherent (he’s not a war hero, but he’s a war hero? Um, ok.), but it’s blatantly obvious that he’s mocking McCain specifically for being taken prisoner during wartime. (McCain was flying his 23rd bombing mission over Vietnam on October 26, 1967, when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi.) I won’t spend time mulling over the details of McCain’s imprisonment, torture and physical abuse, but suffice it to say the man went through hell. Now, to be clear: I really can’t stand McCain as a politician. He should’ve retired about a hundred years ago, but for whatever reason he refuses to do so — which has essentially put him at odds with the younger, more principled conservatives who have real ideas and the passion to move the party forward. (Rubio, Cruz, Walker, etc.) Not to mention McCain’s stupid attacks on the Tea Party, which have discredited and disgraced him even further. And then there was that time that he advocated for arming Syrian terrorists and even met with the potential Islamic State militants. The man should probably be in jail for this, but I digress. 

But, McCain’s politics aside, there’s really no excuse for insulting him for being captured during wartime and degrading his military service to America. (Especially when you dodged the Vietnam War draft yourself — five times.) This just makes Trump look like a heartless jerk so starved for attention and controversy that he’ll say anything when a news camera is in the vicinity. Honestly, that’s all he’s been doing since he started his campaign. This isn’t the behavior of a moral, honorable, respectable man or the qualities that we hope to see in the Leader of the Free World — or even the qualities we expect from conservative Republicans. And that’s sort of the point, folks. Trump isn’t a conservative at all. If you read my last post about this charlatan, then you know he’s nothing more than a liberal progressive who just happens to vomit enough conservative-ish rhetoric during speeches to fool all the naive right-wingers.

I’m sorry if you been duped by this man. Truly, I am. But, it’s time to realize the truth. 

And the truth is: Donald Trump is a total embarrassment to the conservative movement in America. Even worse, he’s a walking contradiction — a living, breathing, blabbering, egomaniacal hinderance to the Republican party. I understand the whole ‘Trump tells it like it is!’ schtick. Trust me, I get it. I see the appeal. But, the man insulted POWs. He insulted war veterans. Does that not mean anything? How can any sane, rational, patriotic American be OK with that? Shouldn’t that massively disqualify him from running for president of the United States? Shouldn’t that be an indication that he’s unfit for the highest office in the land? Shouldn’t he, at the very least, be apologizing to John McCain and veterans everywhere? If Barack Obama had openly insulted a veteran POW like McCain on national television, conservatives across the country would be breaking out the pitchforks and torches and calling for the man's impeachment and imprisonment. It would be all over Fox News, talk radio and Sean Hannity would hosting a three-hour documentary on the history of Obama’s degrading rhetoric. But, when Trump does it, it’s suddenly acceptable? It’s just “straight talk?” 

Astonishingly, Trump’s support and favorability skyrocketed after his jab at McCain. What in God’s name is wrong with the conservative American electorate majority? Every analyst predicted Trump would have fizzled out by now, particularly after this latest gaffe. But, the polls show just the opposite. In fact, most people probably saw it as more of that amazing Trumpism-straight-talk-open-mouth-insert-foot awesomeness. Good Lord is this really what it’s come to? How can they not see this hack for the fraud that he is? 

I mean, is it just because he’s loud, comical, brazen and rich? That makes no sense. How does any of that qualify him for the presidency? Everyone seems to be so impressed with his wealth: “Look, he can fund his own campaign! He’s so wealthy! Huzzah!” 

So what? Who cares? There’s lots of rich people in the world. Tom Cruise is rich. Barack Obama is rich. Bernie Sanders is rich. Doctor Doom is rich. This doesn’t mean they should be president. Besides, Trump was born into his wealth, got a nice head start from his daddy, has financially benefited from years of donations to Democrats like Hillary Clinton and raked in millions from his stint as a reality TV celebrity.

Bravo, Mr. Trump. Well done. Congratulations on all your success. Now, please, go away. 

We don’t need this arrogant, haughty, dishonest billionaire parading around pretending to be a conservative. You see, I don’t dislike Mr. Trump because he says stupid things. I don’t dislike him because he’s rich. I don’t dislike him because he’s a “straight talker.” 

I dislike him because he’s a fake. He’s a conman. He’s scamming conservative Americans and they’re blind to it. He’s a liberal huckster with no integrity, no honesty, empty talking points and an embarrassingly poor understanding of modern American political issues. He’s done nothing more than spout off all the typical conservative-y feel-good, anti-Obama, pro-capitalism rhetoric and, perhaps through sheer mind-control or some form of pagan sorcery, he’s captured the attention and support of millions. 

It’s disturbing, really. It’s also a humiliating embarrassment for any sane Republican. Trump is the unsightly skin rash on the neck of conservatism that everyone is too afraid to exfoliate. 

Sorry, but it’s time to expose this guy for what he is. It’s time to drag him out of the media spotlight. 

And then, maybe we can start focusing on what’s really important. 

Sincerely, 

A fellow disgruntled American

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