If Republicans truly ‘Back the Blue,’ they should reject Trump, a convicted felon

Editor:

This year as motorists parade down my street in a show of “Backing the Blue,” I want to remind everyone of Donald Trump’s and Republican’s association with crime.

Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and his assistant Rick Gates are convicted felons. Michael Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former National Security Advisor, is a felon.

Mr. Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon is in prison. Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is a felon and Mr. Trump’s campaign aide, Roger Stone is a felon. Peter Navarro, Mr. Trump’s trade advisor, is a convicted felon.

Allen Weisselberg, former Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization, is in prison. Mr. Trump is himself convicted of 34 felonies and convicted as a sexual predator. The Trump Organization has been found guilty of tax fraud and falsifying business records. Trump University had to pay $25 million for fraud. Mr. Trump’s charity was forced to shut down after it was discovered that it operated fraudulently.

Not only is Mr. Trump a criminal and surrounds himself with criminals but also with unethical people. In Mr. Trump’s administration, these key officials faced ethics violations bordering on criminal activity: Scott Pruitt, Secretary of the EPA; Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Ryan Zinke, Secretary of Interior; Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation; David Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of Treasury; Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce; Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy; and Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education.

Finally, the Republicans Study Committee in the House of Representatives released a budget proposal calling for cutting funding for the FBI, the Department of Justice and, most telling, cutting the Community Oriented Police Service program which provides grant money that local police departments use to hire officers.

Republicans want to defund the police, both on a national and local level. Republicans have chosen a known criminal and sexual predator as the leader of their party. It is not a stretch to say that, at least on the national level, Republicans do not show respect for law and order and do not back the blue.

William Fine

Brockport