By Butch Freedman
Today (September 22, 2026), trump spoke at the United Nations and, not surprisingly, embarrassed both himself and our country. Once again, the blowhard threatened to “annihilate the Islamic republic.” But unlike the typical braggadocio of his deranged ramblings on his “truth” website, this threat was delivered in person to a room filled with the top diplomats and leaders of the world. Our president was openly declaring his intent to commit a war crime in front of the entire world. Little wonder that former allies are openly questioning whether the United States is still a credible partner. Most have already made that decision — we are not. The mewling, angry prez then went on to brag about, among his usual litany of lies, that we were now taking over Venezuela’s oil industry — “to the victor goes the spoils,” he stated, once again saying out loud the criminal part. Let’s all admit it; this person is both a fool and a self-proclaimed crime boss. He doesn’t bother to hide it.
Every day brings new evidence (as if we needed it) of his madness and desire to totally corrupt or destroy the constitution, the courts, and, most strikingly, the free press. He has declared that the media sources he doesn’t like, because “they only write bad stories about me” are banned from the White House and from his press conferences. As President Obama stated, “Imagine the uproar from republicans if I had banned Fox News.” And yet, still, incredibly almost all Republican congress people stay silent about the crimes and ravings and straight-up defacement of 250 years of a once democratic country. One can only call them cowards, unworthy of the oaths they took to preserve and defend the constitution.
At this point, you might (reasonably) ask, “Butch, why do you keep going on about this?” And to mix a couple metaphors, “You’re beating a dead horse, and preaching to the choir.” My answer: I can’t let it go, not now, when the madness is in full bloom and the wannabe dictator is in total melt-down mode, and, most importantly, not when the mid-terms are looming. I’m not the only one screaming from the roof-tops. But I will join in with that insistent call that the danger is existential, trump will bring this country to its already scraped knees, unless he is stopped now.
Imagine, if you dare, what that spineless excuse for a human will do, if the congress continues to have a majority of appeasers and enablers — the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak no evil toadies of house and senate republicans. The mad don will be turned completely loose at that point. Forget even the appearance of free speech or fair elections. His dementia combined with his lust for power and unchecked vanity will destroy every remaining shred of freedom and decency the country once stood for. No one will be safe.
A limited, but significant example of his madness and pettiness can be seen now in what he has done to destroy the Kennedy Center. Since the courts decided he had no right to put his name on the building that is a memorial to another man, a man who stood for all the values trump sneers at, this sick individual first decides to drape the front of the building so no one can see where his name was removed, and when the courts further tell him he is not allowed to shut the Center down without congressional approval, he threatens to “demolish” it. How small do you have to be, how insecure, how deluded, to act this way? How is it that such an insecure bully can be president of the U.S.?
So once again, I ask both for your forbearance of my frequent tirades, and, most importantly, I ask for your vote in the mid-term elections. The ballots are going out now in some states. If you haven’t registered to vote, GET ON IT. NOW! And, if you can, financially support the candidates who will stand up for a return to moral, and ethical values and put a break on the madman’s attempt to ruin us all. We can still make this horror end. But we all have to act.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In Oregon to check your voter registration, go to www.oregonvotes.gov
