Donald Trump and maga Republicans are sending American young people into war without a purpose

Echo opinion letter published in Bakersfield.com:

egomaniacal old man

On Saturday morning (February 28, 2026) we listened as Donald Trump tell us how our military took out leaders of Iran's military regime. This is from a president who promised no more foreign wars if he was elected. Then came Venezuela. Now Iran. Iran retaliated. Three American servicemen died. Five more were seriously injured. Others were "slightly" injured. The next next thing we hear is the president telling us to expect more U.S. casualties. "People die in wars" were his exact words. (Pentagon now reports six military service people were killed in Kuwait but there have to be more causalities especially in Bahrain, where the Navy Supply depot was attacked by Iran.) The Pentagon identified six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers from Iowa*, from the 103rd Sustainment Command killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, 2026. The fallen service members are: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, Capt. Cody Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien, Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, and Sgt. Declan Coady. These six young people are the victims of preventable deaths caused by Donald Trump's illegal World War III. There was no purpose or plan or warning to help them prepare for the attack that killed them.

How many of our young men and women will be asked to put their lives on the line so that this vain, egomaniacal old man can look powerful? Donald Trump couldn't care less about our national security, our welfare, or peace in our world. He only wants to be feared. He threatens the world and plots revenge against anyone he considers a political enemy (whether they are or not). And, he doesn't care how many of us are going to be asked to sacrifice our children to achieve his psychotic dream.

How long is it going to take Congress and the Senate to grow a backbone and start listening to their constituents? (Senator Susan Collins where are you ❓)


I am just so glad that l and my son are too old to wear a uniform and my grandchildren are still too young.


I ask God to protect all our fine young service people at this critical time. Hopefully someone will come to their senses before this whole debacle comes to an end.

From Michael A. Cariker, in Bakersfield, California

*Six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed in a March 1, 2026, drone strike at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait were all assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa.

A Republican leadership dry desert during a time of international crises!

Obviously, Republicans are incapable of governing.

Echo opinion letter published in the Bakersfield California newspaper published in Kevin McCarthy's congressional district. 

For the first time in American history, a speaker of the House of Representatives has been deposed. The Republican Party is now without top leaders at every leadership level. Even with a majority of members in the House of Representatives, Republicans have no one in charge and no way forward, because Speaker McCarthy left no plan if he was deposed.

McCarthy's deal with the political "devil"- right wing demons.

I have been silent about my feelings regarding Kevin because of respect for his family. But I have always had feelings and opinions. So, it is time to share.

Ex-Speaker McCarthy was only about political power. The holding of that power and being speaker was his only and last goal.

GOP is unable to govern!

Kevin knew how to raise campaign money, help elect Republicans to office and make political friendships. He also knew how to use his words to damage his political enemies. He moved popularity polls with his (wrong minded!) statements. He single-handedly destroyed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with his lies about her. He even admitted his false statements during a television interview.

Kevin McCarthy used negative political campaigns because they worked, but he never told voters where he stood on issues. His lack of truthfulness caused him problems with both Republicans and Democrats.

Political historians will answer my question, but not the local McCarthy apologist Cathy Abernathy. Her (misuse of) words will be quickly forgotten from our memory.

I believe our political challenges can only be solved with bipartisan solutions — (yes!) political compromises. In our evenly divided House of Representatives, the new speaker, to be successful, must be elected and supported by both moderate Republicans and Democrats. Someone needs to step up to the plate and quickly move our country in a positive direction.

From Gene Tackett, Bakersfield

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy lacks leadership skills but makes excuses about lack of political momentum

Letters to the Editor published in the Los Angeles Times: If the government shuts down, Kevin McCarthy will bear some of the blame!  

To the editor: An open letter to Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (Republican Representative for Bakersfield California):

Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy is required to demonstrate political leadership.

You’ve created a dilemma for yourself on the budget resolution. While you gave extremist radicals everything they asked for, they still refuse to govern responsibly. 

Although you and President Joe Biden made an agreement to avoid U.S. debt default, the extremists wanted you to dishonor the deal with new spending cuts — and you complied! Nevertheless, your party’s ideologues refuse to fund the government. You yielded to their irresponsible calls to waste time and resources for impeachment without credible evidence, yet those radical Republicans still refuse to support serious governing.

There’s a way out of this dilemma caused by your bad choices. Propose a clean, fully funded continuing resolution with no political stunts riding in sidecars. Surely, you can find four reasonable Republicans (plus yourself) to vote with the Democrats and keep our government going.

There’s a way out of this dilemma caused by your bad choices. Propose a clean, fully funded continuing resolution with no political stunts riding in sidecars. Surely, you can find four reasonable Republicans (plus yourself) to vote with the Democrats and keep our government going.

That’s what real governing, real leadership, would look like.

From Bruce Joffe, in Piedmont, California

Dump the Chump: Donald Trump has "chump" syndrome!

Definition of "chump": A stupid or foolish person.

An echo opinion published in Bakersfield.com, in California:

In his latest attempt at self-glorification, a coffee table book named "Letters to Trump," the former guy president goes out of his way to insult and demean a true America hero, the late Senator John McCain, who died nearly five years ago. What is Trump's problem?

Maine Writer- Juliana L'Heureux at the gravesite where Senator John McCain is buried in Annapolis at the U.S. Navy Academy, in Maryland. (L'Heureux photo)

Shame on Trump the chump! i.e., Trump the Chump (T the C)

In his latest attempt at self-glorification, a coffee table book named "Letters to Trump," the former president goes out of his way to insult and demean a true America hero, the late Sen. John McCain, who died nearly five years ago. What is Trump's problem?

He will never be regarded as a real hero! He will never receive the respect and honor that McCain so rightly deserves?

McCain served willingly and heroically in Vietnam while "Captain Bonespur" hid behind his daddy's store-bought medical excuses? What is Mr. Trump's problem? Is he so insecure that he has to show himself on computer-generated bubblegum cards doing and performing mighty deeds that he has never done and never will do?

McCain was the real deal. An honest-to-God, real-life Vietnam veteran who fought and suffered for his country. He faced and endured horrors that you cannot even begin to imagine. Where does Trump get the nerve, the unmitigated gall, to belittle this soldier? When the call came, he went. Trump hid behind his daddy's money.

Now Trump wants us to make him the commander in chief of our military again. ❓ If that wasn't such an insult to every serviceman and woman, it would almost be funny. Almost. 😓

— Michael Cariker, in Bakersfield California

A complete list of the former guy's Twitter insults published in The New York Times is at this link here.

Donald Trump is keeping himself out of prison by running for president! WWWTP?

Echo opinion letter published in Bakersfield.com, a California newspaper serving Houses Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (Republican) Congressional district (California District 20:  Bakersfield, Clovis, Frazier Park, Hanford, Kernville, Lake Isabella, Lemoore, Mojave, Ridgecrest, Taft, Tehachapi, and Visalia)

Trump cult parade

To the Editor:  As hard as I have tried, it is impossible for me to understand, ever since he actually got elected president in 2016, what it is that allows people to just completely ignore all of the crimes Donald Trump has been suspected of committing for years. 

Donald Trump is a bully and no matter what he does, that would see any of the rest of us average citizens in jail years ago.

The only reason Donald J. Trump is running for president again is he thinks it will keep him out of jail. I do not understand how (the Trump cult victims) Kevin McCarthy can say the things he says with a straight face. 

Trumpziism will destroy America. Trump must be stopped!

McCarthy and his right wing Republican Congress don't care about really getting any important work done for their constituents. Instead, they are wasting our tax dollars on investigations such as the weaponization of the Department of Justice.

The fact is this:  The only administration that has ever tried to control the DOJ is the Trump administration! During his time in office, Kevin McCarthy and all the rest of the Republican Party allowed him to get away with anything he did. No matter what he did and the clear evidence of his guilt, they let him off every time and after what he did on January 6, 2021.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy should tell us: Did he or did he not swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States, not the Constitution of Donald J. Trump?

They keep saying this is all unprecedented. Well, that makes total sense since America has never had a person like Trump for president until Trump.

From Laura M. Halford, Bakersfield, California

Maine Writer Post Script:  I echo Ms. Halford's query!  What is wrong with this picture (WWWTP)?  Trump is a criminal. Full stop!

Bullshit from the QAnon enabler Kevin McCarthy

Check out The Warning blog published by Steve Schmidt. 

Kevin McCarthy is a political buffoon!

This echo blog is published in The Warning.

The famous dummy Charlie McCarthy had more credibility than the cult leader Kevin McCarthy, who is the real MAGA-GOP QAnon enabler!

Kevin McCarthy, the MAGA (cult) leader of the House Republican Conference, from Bakersfield, California, took an oath to defend the US Constitution in 2006, when he was elected to the United States Congress. But, McCarthy has desecrated that oath. He broke it . Instead, McCarthy betrayed it. No public promise made by Kevin McCarthy is worth the paper it is printed on. It is all nonsense.

McCarthy’s cynicism is almost immeasurable. 

Kevin McCarthy is a fraudulent Congressman!

“Commitment to America” is a Republican platitudinous bundle of nonsense and tripe, wrapped in a layer of fraudulence beginning with the errant Abraham Lincoln quote that frames it. It turns out the quote is from a 1986, Lehman Brothers ad that erroneously attributed it to Lincoln. It is appropriate. The MAGA/GOP alliance will do for democracy what Lehman did for the economy in 2008.

Incredibly, the mishmash of incompetence from Team McCarthy didn’t stop with the fake Abraham Lincoln quote. It was just the opening bid. The contrived images of Americana turned out to be not so American after all. They were Russian and Ukrainian pictures. The incredible Jennifer Bendery story in the Huffington Post almost beggars belief.

It is all 100%, triple-A, weapons-grade bullshit. All of it.

The GOP “Commitment to America” is a sham. It is “crappola” that lacks commitment, conviction or seriousness —and it is deliberately deceptive, not on the level at all.

More about Dummy McCarthy and TFG handler - hearing his master's voice

Echo opinion letter published in the Bakersfield.com news, in the California community where Rep. Kevin McCarthy represents the district, in the US Congress. 

Although Rep. McCarthy is obviously elected by his constituents to represent them in Congress, the fact is, there are many opinion letters published in this Bakersfield news source that oppose his right wing points of view. This blog contains just one echo, in a series:

Dummy Charlie McCarthy is handled by his ventriloquist handler, Edgar Bergen. Surely, Rep. Kevin McCarthy obeys his master's #TFG's voice, just like the dummy that is apparently a member of his family.

#Insurrection! Jan. 6 happened. We all saw it. We witnessed the damage, saw the anger and heard the threats. Now, Steve Bannon, who is the sleaziest of all for stealing donations from citizens, is being protected by the Republicans? 

Worse, Kevin McCarthy is at the center of it. The election was not stolen. The ones screaming foul, this crazy set of Republicans, know what fake actions they are taking. It is severely damaging our country. No matter what side you are on, you can now feel the hate in this country. It is tragic, and is being promoted by #TFG Trump and dummy McCarthy. 

Why doesn’t McCarthy want an investigation into what happened on Jan. 6? 

All it is is an investigation.

McCarthy brought Trump, who spearheaded Jan. 6, back into the scene by his groveling. But, Trump was voted out! Well, get ready. McCarthy's “team” is now talking about replacing him as their candidate for speaker with Donald Trump! You don’t think it may happen? Just you wait. In case you forgot, Trump can't serve on any charity board. Geez, you could have had a V8!

COVID rates in McCarthy's district are ridiculously high. 

As a matter of fact, McCarthy should come in person and urge his constituents to save not only their lives, but those of their families, friends, and even your family. Vote for, not against, new roads, child and elder care. Do something positive for once.

— Mark Perttula, Bakersfield

Maine Writer:  #KevinMcCarthy needs a battery change! His brain must be reset.

Representative Liz Cheney speaks truth to power and reveals "The Big Lie"

(I doubt the ventriloquist Edgar Bergen ever thought that his dummy Charlie McCarthy would ever come alive!)

Opinion letter echo published in Bakersfield.com a California newspaper. 

Edar Bergen was the ventriloquist who spoke for the famous dummy he named Charlie McCarthy. Obviously, Edger Bergen's dummy has come alive in the person of  the Republican Kevin McCarthy.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy stated in a speech that former President Trump was responsible for the January 6 insurrectionist attack on the US Capitol. At that time, McCarthy was right, and I applauded his standing up for truth and for our country.

Nevertheless, McCarthy (wrongmindedly) perceived, soon after January 6th, that Trump is still the head of the GOP in the eyes of many and back-pedaled. 

McCarthy and many other Republican leaders buy into "The Big Lie" about the 2020 election outcome as somehow not being legitimate, Moreover, McCarthy shamefully voted to overturn the results of the election in the House.

Now, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the powerful GOP minority member in the House of Representatives, is speaking "truth to power" about Trump's role in the January 6, seditious attempt, and about his perpetuating The Big Lie about the election. Cheney's truth makes Rep. McCarthy uncomfortable,

Maybe, in part, it is because he looks like the non-truth-teller that he is, that McCarthy wants her out of her leadership position.

Rep. List Cheney is a patriot, and she is telling the truth. When did those attributes become a liability? I was born in Bakersfield California and grew up in Kern County. I wish I could vote against McCarthy (but live in Los Angeles). 

People of Bakersfield, you can vote McCarthy out of office! .

— Linda Randolph, Los Angeles (Calling on the people of Bakersfield to vote against Rep. Kevin McCarthy!)

Kevin McCarthy obviously is not reading his hometown criticisms

Why does Kevin McCarthy only come to our district and only have dinners with rich people instead of town hall meetings with his constituents?

Ventriloquist and the puppet Charlie McCarthy

Puppet Charlie McCarthy and the famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen
I'm thinking the puppet has come alive and its ventriloquist is #FormerGuy

Can McCarthy answer these questions?

Why did he vote against the commission to investigate Jan. 6 after stating Trump was responsible, and not tell us about his phone call that day with Trump?

In my opinion, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is a puppet that is controlled by a ventriloquist.  He speaks gibberish, using nonsensical and truncated phrases like "Pelosi Republican". Hello? What does that mean?  It sounds like he has a battery run voice recorder in his chest that programs cues for him to use like t punch lines in a vaudeville show.

Moreover, I don't believe the McCarthy puppet knows how to read, which is even more evidence that he can only speak when a ventriloquist is projecting words out of his mouth.  Because, if McCarthy could read, he would pay attention to what is written about him in his hometown Bakersfield.com newspaper.

Two echo opinion letters to the editor are proof that McCarthy does not read.  Otherwise, McCarthy would spend more time talking to constituents rather than mouthing the words given to him by a ventriloquist. 

#1) Letter to the editor: Can McCarthy answer these questions?

• Why did McCarthy bring Trump back into the loop when he would have faded away after his loss?
• Why does McCarthy support the #FormerGuy, a man he strongly suspected of illicit behavior with Russia?
• And the most importantly. What has McCarthy done for his district and constituents after all his years in office?

Truth is important. From  Mark Pertula, in Bakersfield, California

Who is McCarthy protecting?

#2)  I grew up in Bakersfield, graduated from a Bakersfield high school, my family was prominent in the business community, and I married a Bakersfield boy. I remember this community as being a great place to live with promise for everyone and filled with community pride and patriotism.

Apparently those values are no longer valued by some in the community as they allow Kevin McCarthy to actively work to destroy our democracy. We sent my relatives and friends to fight and die in World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. I am the proud daughter of a World War II veteran, wife of a Vietnam veteran, and mother of a Desert Storm Marine.

What has happened to Bakersfieldians, that you have elected a U.S. representative who has shown his traitorous character in the actions he has taken?

We have a right to have the insurrection of Jan. 6th impartially investigated and those responsible for planning and supporting the events held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. 

Apparently, Kevin McCarthy does not want that!

• Who participated in facilitating the attack on the People's House - the US Capitol? 
• What does Kevin McCarthy not want to see the light of day?
• Who is Kevin McCarthy protecting?
• Why is Kevin McCarthy not upholding his oath to the Constitution?

Why are citizens of Bakersfield allowing McCarthy to run roughshod over his responsibilities as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?

• Who is pulling Kevin's puppet strings?

Will we stop this and demand that McCarthy honor his oath to the U.S. Constitution?

From Dea Monfort, in Long Beach, California

Donald Trump must not expect quid pro quo from #SCOTUS

Trump must concede but refuses to acknowledge the obvious.

He is delusional.  Yet, Trump is likely to seek a quid pro quo from the United States Supreme Court! 

Donald Trump has lost the 2020 election. 

Maine Writer- In fact, he lost twice.  He never received the majority of the popular vote in 2016 and he lost the popular vote in 2020.

Echo opinion published in Bakersfield.com, in California:

 

Nevertheless, Trump is now trying to undermine our democratic process. I believe Trump’s goal is to take the election result to the Supreme Court, where he has a chance to silence the people’s will.

During his term Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices. 

Now the reason why a president can appoint justices is for the reason of checks and balances. The president can change the direction of the court. This way the judiciary branch doesn’t have too much power. However, I believe the president is trying to take advantage of this and have the Supreme Court give him a second term.


By claiming fraud and saying that the election was unconstitutional, Trump can take this case all the way to the Supreme #SCOTUS where the court can “repay” the president for his appointments and invalidate the election. Whether this is his plan or not, the president’s actions are concerning because he is putting unnecessary fear into the minds of Americans. He is creating doubt in our election process which has been secure for almost two and a half centuries. For the good of the nation, Trump must concede.

Jonathan Arenas, Bakersfield