To the editor: President Trump’s crude letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, threatening tariffs over Brazil’s prosecution of its former president (Trump’s personal friend), reduces the storied American diplomatic custom to newbie hour (“Brazil vows retaliatory tariffs against U.S. if Trump follows through on 50% import taxes,” July 10). Total, Trump’s tariff exercise appears extra tied to his self-image as a “dealmaker” than to sound financial coverage.
Equally, Trump’s risk to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship following a protracted public spat along with her illustrates how he has customized the presidency within the worst means (“Trump says he’s considering ‘taking away’ Rosie O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship,” July 12). Although aged in years, Trump appears to be caught in some adolescent part, reenacting the intolerance and terror of highschool cliques. He makes use of his workplace to punish these he dislikes, and particularly those that dislike him, in impact turning his pathological rejection/evasion of criticism virtually into an arm of the regulation.
Trump’s “personalization,” i.e. making the workplace all about himself, his biases and petty grievances, disrespects and dishonors the American presidency.
D. Keith Naylor, South Pasadena
