Evilism is not an inevitable outcome of the Trumpzi administration if Americans will wake up and respond!

Echo essay published in Substacks:  Open Letters by Mersault

Dear Regretful Trump Voters, This letter isn’t here to judge you. It’s not about sanctimoniously wagging a finger or berating your choices—whether you voted out of frustration, party loyalty, or the dubious conviction that you were choosing the lesser evil. It’s about confronting a moment of reckoning—a crossroads where we must face the catastrophic consequences of a gamble gone disastrously wrong.

For those who clung to the hope that Trump’s presidency might soften his extremism, or dismissed warnings as partisan hysteria, the past eight weeks have stripped away every illusion. If you thought it couldn’t possibly be worse than before the election—if you dared to hope for moderation or reason—those hopes have been obliterated. His actions since November haven’t just continued down the same perilous path; they’ve accelerated with a fervor that lays bare the authoritarian playbook in stark relief.

The evidence is overwhelming, stacking up faster than lawsuits at Mar-a-Lago. Every word, every policy, every unchecked outrage confirms the grim trajectory ahead. The stakes have never been higher, and the truth has never been clearer: the danger is not hypothetical; it’s here. Your response to this moment won’t just define your own moral compass—it will shape the future of our democracy.

Rhetoric Turned Darker: Since the election, Trump’s rhetoric has spiraled from divisive to downright apocalyptic, a dangerous escalation even beyond his pre-election excesses. His recent Truth Social posts exemplify this unraveling. The day after Christmas, in a message that should have celebrated unity, Trump instead unleashed a tirade—railing against political opponents, the justice system, and even President Biden. What could have been a moment of holiday cheer became another battle cry steeped in paranoia and vengeance.

In just weeks, Trump has gone further than ever before. He’s proposed using the military to suppress domestic dissent, a suggestion so chilling it reads like the rejected plot of a dystopian novel. He’s called for imprisoning journalists who dare to report the truth, sought to sue or jail political opponents, proposed extreme voting restrictions based on fabricated fraud claims, and emboldened violent extremists by casting their threats as justified outrage. These aren’t just inflammatory words—they’re calculated moves to undermine democracy.

For those who hoped his post-election presidency might bring moderation or reason, the evidence couldn’t be clearer: it’s worse. These actions aren’t isolated—they’re part of a deliberate strategy to destabilize democracy and consolidate power. Trump’s chaos is by design: sowing fear, attacking institutions, and presenting himself as the sole savior in a crisis of his own making. The consequences of this path are deliberate, dire, and demand a reckoning.

Pay-for-Play Corruption on Display:  The corruption we’re witnessing under Trump isn’t a deviation from his promises—it’s the realization of them. What was once hinted at in shadowy whispers has now become an unashamed spectacle. Since the election, the already glaring pay-for-play system has grown even more brazen, transforming governance into a grotesque auction where power and influence go to the highest bidder. Corporate leaders are now funneled into closed-door meetings, not to collaborate on policy, but to pledge financial fealty in exchange for favorable treatment. Under the guise of “support,” loyalty isn’t earned—it’s coerced.

Inauguration donations have become open displays of transactional politics, with pharmaceutical giants, tech firms, and Wall Street executives tripping over themselves to secure Trump’s favor. Charter Communications quadrupled its contribution to curry favor for regulatory rulings. Big Pharma pledged over $10 million to stall generic drug approvals, effectively holding affordable medication hostage to protect their profits. Even Uber’s CEO dropped a cool $1 million to the inauguration, seeking an edge in labor and regulatory battles. These aren’t outliers—they’re features of a system unapologetically transactional, corrosive, and profoundly undemocratic.

It’s worse now than ever before. During the campaign, such practices might have been dismissed as exaggerations. Now, they’re undeniable facts of Trump’s governance—a model where public trust is auctioned off to the highest bidder. For voters who believed Trump’s promises to "drain the swamp," the evidence couldn’t be more damning. Far from cleaning house, he’s thrown open the doors and handed over the keys to the vault.

This isn’t governance—it’s an auction block where democracy itself is up for grabs. If this is what we’re seeing before he’s even sworn in, the implications for the future are staggering. For those beginning to regret their choice, it’s not too late to reckon with what’s unfolding and to act before the system, designed for the few at the expense of the many, solidifies. As corruption becomes normalized under Trump, the next logical step in his playbook emerges: surrounding himself with a cabinet engineered not to govern, but to dismantle democratic institutions entirely.

Evilism in a villians cabinet

Cabinet of Cartoon Villains:  If you thought Trump’s pre-election rhetoric was troubling, his post-election appointments should set off sirens. What began as a campaign of divisive bluster has metastasized into a calculated assault on democratic norms, human rights, and public trust. Trump has surrounded himself with a motley crew of extremists, opportunists, and sycophants—each handpicked not for their qualifications, but for their unwavering loyalty to his authoritarian agenda.

This isn’t a team assembled to serve the American people—it’s a coalition designed to consolidate power, dismantle civil rights, and prioritize corporate and ideological interests over the public good. From climate change deniers to anti-science conspiracy theorists, corporate puppets to far-right ideologues, this cabinet isn’t about governance—it’s about demolition. For a detailed account of these appointees and their dangerous track records, see the addendum at the end of this letter. But for now, let it suffice to say: this group makes his first-term cabinet look restrained by comparison—a terrifying escalation that demands your attention and action.

Authoritarian Alignment and Global Isolation: Trump’s alignment with authoritarian regimes and disdain for NATO allies signal a troubling, and now even more blatant, shift in U.S. global standing. Just last week, he hailed China’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong as “strong and decisive,” a chilling endorsement of state-sponsored brutality. Earlier this month, he dismissed NATO partners as “freeloaders,” proposing a reduction in the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe—a move that weakens global alliances and emboldens adversaries like Russia and China, who have already responded with increased aggression. Recent revelations of attempts to weaken sanctions on Russia further illuminate his administration's disturbing prioritization of authoritarian interests over democratic alliances.

Incredibly, he has gone further, using his post-election platform to float absurd ideas like reclaiming the Panama Canal and annexing Greenland. These proposals, as ludicrous as they sound, are presented as grand strategies rather than the diplomatic embarrassments they so clearly are—an unsettling reminder of how detached from reality his rhetoric has become. Just days ago, reports surfaced that Trump privately dismissed human rights abuses by allied nations as “internal matters,” signaling a retreat from moral leadership with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer against a window. This new posture isn’t merely embarrassing—it’s a gift to despots worldwide, undermining the fragile balance of global stability and diminishing America’s standing as a leader of free nations.

Conspiracy Theories and Public Trust Erosion:  Trump’s penchant for conspiracy theories continues to erode public trust and endanger lives. Recently, he dismissed climate change as a “hoax,” undermining urgent scientific consensus and jeopardizing environmental policy efforts. Two weeks ago, he slashed disaster preparedness funding, dismissing climate disasters as “liberal fantasies,” leaving vulnerable communities at greater risk. His baseless claims of a “deep state” within the FDA have further sown distrust in critical health institutions, igniting fresh waves of vaccine hesitancy that have already disrupted public health initiatives across several states.

Adding fuel to this crisis, Trump’s nomination of vaccine denier Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has alarmed experts, who warn it could bolster anti-vaccine sentiments and compromise life-saving vaccination efforts. Meanwhile, his assertion that the Department of Education is “infiltrated by Marxists” has fueled widespread disinformation campaigns about school curricula, further polarizing the public and undermining trust in educational institutions.

Each baseless assertion chips away at the foundation of institutional trust, leaving the public more divided and susceptible to fear-mongering. The ripple effects are already evident: increased polarization, reduced civic engagement, and a nation teetering on the edge of chaos.

The Path Forward: Actions You Can Take:  You’ve seen the consequences of your vote, and now you face a pivotal moment. This is your chance for “TrumPenitence.” This isn’t about switching parties or wallowing in past mistakes—it’s about reclaiming the values that truly define us: honesty, fairness, and democracy. The question now is: What will you do next?

Speak Out: Summon your courage. Speak with friends, family, and your community about what you’ve learned. These conversations don’t just exchange ideas—they change minds and shift perceptions.

Get Involved Locally: Join civic organizations, community groups, or town halls committed to pushing for change. Grassroots action at the local level creates ripples that grow into waves.

Vote in Every Election: Local and state elections often have as much, if not more, impact than national ones. Use your vote to block harmful policies and elevate leaders who uphold democratic values.

Support Advocacy Groups: Contribute your time, money, or resources to organizations fighting for civil rights, environmental protections, and voter access. Advocacy organizations amplify individual efforts into powerful movements.

Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed and share reliable, fact-based information about the administration’s actions. Silence is the ally of misinformation; knowledge is its antidote.

History Shows That Collective Action Can Turn the Tide

Think of the Civil Rights Movement, which dismantled systemic oppression through grassroots persistence. Recall Watergate, where public demand for accountability forced even the highest levels of power to reckon with the rule of law. Remember the early labor movements that won workers’ rights, the women’s suffrage campaign that shattered barriers to equality, and the American Revolution itself, where ordinary people refused to bow to tyranny. In every instance, democracy’s survival depended not on passive hope, but on bold, collective action.

The Power to Reclaim Our Country Lies in Your Hands:  This is not about redemption—it’s about responsibility. Apologies won’t rebuild what has been broken; only action can. Your TrumPenitence is not just about rejecting the past—it’s about choosing to build a future rooted in the principles that make democracy worth defending.

History is watching, and it will not be kind to those who stood by. The path forward begins with you. Rise to the occasion. Rise to defend democracy. Prove that taking responsibility is not only possible—it’s necessary. America’s future must be built on courage, not cowardice, and your actions will define it.

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Americans united by aspirations: "opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and, yes, the truth"

Echo report published in Religion News Service. 

President Joe Biden: An Inauguration filled with faith
Quoting the Bible, President Joe Biden declared: Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. 

"We will get through this together!"

President Joe R. Biden's family Bible is now a historic American religious relic!

WASHINGTON (RNS) — President Joe Biden began Inauguration Day the same way he did Election Day and most Sundays in between: he went to church.

But this time, he took America with him.

It was shortly before 9:00am when Biden and Vice-president Kamala Harris filed into the pews of Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, also known as St. Matthews.

The group sat and listened to performances from violinist Patricia Treacy and the gospel choir of St. Augustine, a historic Black Catholic Church in Washington. Also among the musical numbers: Renée Fleming singing “On Eagle’s Wings,” the same hymn Biden mentioned in his campaign victory speech.

It was an appropriately spiritual beginning to a faith-infused day and what is shaping up to be an unapologetically religious presidential term for Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history. And unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, who spoke often of Christianity being under fire, Biden spent Wednesday invoking faith as a tool for healing and unity.

President Joe Biden speaks at America's 59th Inauguration Jan. 20, 2021

Indeed, unity was literally the theme of the day, with Biden baking it into virtually every aspect of his inauguration, including the church visit: At the president’s invitation, lawmakers from both parties — Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer as well as members of Congress such as Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Roy Blunt and Steny Hoyer — sat in the pews with him.

Unity came up again hours later at the U.S. Capitol, when Fr. Leo O’Donovan, a Jesuit priest and former president of Georgetown University, delivered the invocation for Biden’s formal inauguration ceremony.
“As you have done so often in your public and private life and during the campaign, Joe and Jill, you ground this day in your faith and in the familiar readings and prayers of these sacred rituals,” the Rev. Kevin O’Brien, a Jesuit priest and president of Santa Clara University, said during his homily.

“My deepest prayer for you today, as a priest, citizen and friend, is that you always remember that the Lord is near and no matter the sound and fury around you, that God wants to give you peace, a deep-seated peace that will sustain you.”

“My deepest prayer for you today, as a priest, citizen and friend, is that you always remember that the Lord is near and no matter the sound and fury around you, that God wants to give you peace, a deep-seated peace that will sustain you.”

The group sat and listened to performances from violinist Patricia Treacy and the gospel choir of St. Augustine, a historic Black Catholic Church in Washington. Also among the musical numbers: Renée Fleming singing “On Eagle’s Wings,” the same hymn Biden mentioned in his campaign victory speech.

It was an appropriately spiritual beginning to a faith-infused day and what is shaping up to be an unapologetically religious presidential term for Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history. And unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, who spoke often of Christianity being under fire, Biden spent Wednesday invoking faith as a tool for healing and unity.

Indeed, unity was literally the theme of the day, with Biden baking it into virtually every aspect of his inauguration, including the church visit: At the president’s invitation, lawmakers from both parties — Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer as well as members of Congress such as Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Roy Blunt and Steny Hoyer — sat in the pews with him.

Unity came up again hours later at the U.S. Capitol, when Fr. Leo O’Donovan, a Jesuit priest and former president of Georgetown University, delivered the invocation for Biden’s formal inauguration ceremony.

“We come (to God) still more with hope and with our eyes raised anew to the vision of a more perfect union in our land,” O’Donovan said. “A union of all our citizens to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. We have people of many races, creeds, national backgrounds, cultures, and styles.”

After referencing Solomon and the Book of James, he cited Pope Francis’s recent Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, in which he wrote about the need to dream together: “By ourselves we risk seeing mirages. Things that are not there. Dreams, on the other hand are built together.”

After Biden placed his hand on his family’s 127-year-old Bible a few minutes later and took the oath of office, it was the newly minted president’s turn to speak — or, perhaps more accurately, preach: he launched into a speech that was characteristically filled with religious references and appeals to the divine.

Biden said his “whole soul” is invested in the project of “bringing America together, uniting our nation.” He insisted “history, faith and reason” will show “the way of unity.” He invoked St. Augustine, who said “a people are a multitude defined by a common object of their love.”

“What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans?” Biden asked. “I think we know: opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and, yes, the truth.”

Biden encouraged the American people to overcome future challenges, speaking of “better angels” and insisting his fellow citizens will be “sustained by faith, driven by conviction, devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts.”

Finally, he deferred to scripture as he acknowledged America’s collective mourning over the more than 400,000 deaths caused by the novel coronavirus.

“As the Bible says: ‘Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ We will get through this together!” Biden declared.

But Biden, who has long referenced faith as a guide through his own grieving process, also led the country in a moment of silent prayer to remember “400,000 fellow Americans: moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and coworkers.”

Despite the country grappling with what he called a “time of testing,” Biden remained defiant that Americans can prevail, asking those listening to “add our own work and prayers to the unfolding stories of our great nation.”

Country singer Garth Brooks also offered a performance of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” asking those in attendance and at home to sing along.

The God-talk continued after he finished. Amanda Gorman, the United States’ first youth poet laureate, delivered a poem in which she referenced Micah 4:4 — “everyone will sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.”

She was followed by the Rev. Silvester S. Beaman, pastor of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware, who offered a soaring benediction in which he called on America to “befriend the lonely, the least and the left out” and “love the unlovable.”

“This is our benediction,” he said. “That from these hallowed grounds, where slave labor built this shrine and and citadel to Liberty of democracy; let us all acknowledge from the indigenous native American; to those who recently received their citizenship; from the African-American to those whose foreparents came from Europe, and every corner of the globe; from the wealthy to those struggling to make it; for every human being, regardless of their choices, that this is our country, (and) as such teach us, oh God, … to live in it, love in it, be healed in it and reconciled to one another in it.”

And just in case anyone thought Biden’s public Catholicism was a one-off, the president closed out his day with a subtle signal there is more to come. As he sat down in the Oval Office and spoke with reporters for the first time, eagle-eyed journalists noted an array of photographs behind him.

Most are of his family, but at least one depicts him shaking hands with someone else: Pope Francis.

Amanda Gorman- "For there is always light!" on the Hill We Climb

For there was always light. If only we're brave enough to see it.

https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/a35268319/amanda-gorman-inauguration-poem-transcript/

Transcript of Amanda Gorman's Breathtaking Inauguration Poem

Poet Laureate, 22 year old Amanda Gorman

"We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside."

On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the youngest person to ever read at a presidential inauguration. 

"The Hill We Climb" was read to a crowd that included President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Douglas Emhoff, and Barack and Michelle Obama. 

"I wanted it to be a message of hope and unity. And I think that [the inauguration] for me really just underscored how much that was needed," Gorman said on CBS This Morning ahead of her performance. "But to not turn a blind eye to the cracks that really need to be filled."

Below, a full transcript of Gorman's poem that has everyone talking.

Amanda Gorman's "The Hill We Climb": Poem Transcript

Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President, Mr. Emhoff, Americans, and the world.

When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never ending shade?

The loss we carry, a sea. We must wade.
We've graved the belly of the beast.

We've learned that quiet isn't always peace.

In the norms and notions of what just is, isn't always justice.

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. 

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that it isn't broken, but simply unfinished.

To compose a country, committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and conditions of man.

And so we lift our gaze, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us,

We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else say, this is true.
That even as we grieved, we grew.

That even as we hurt, we hoped.

That even as we tired, we tried that will forever be tied together victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid;

If we're to live up to our own time, then victory won't lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we've made.

That is the promise to glade the hill we climb.

If only we dare it's because being American is more than a pride we inherit.

It's the past we step into and how we repair it.

We, the successors of a country and the time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn't mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge our union with purpose.

We've seen a force that would shatter or nation, rather than share it.
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded, but while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated in this truth.

In this faith we trust for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption.

We feared it in its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of of such a terrifying hour, but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter.

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be a country that is bruised.

But whole benevolence, but bold, fierce, and free.

We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.

Our blenders become their burdens, but one thing is certain.
If we merged mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children's birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than one.

We were left with every breath, my bronze pounded chest.

We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the gold limbed hills of the West.

We will rise from the wind swept to Northeast where our forefathers first realized the revolution.

We will rise from the lake when cities of the middle Western States.
We will arise from the sun baked South.

We will rebuild, reconciled and recover and every known nook over a nation.

And every corner called our country.

Our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful.

When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid, the new dawn balloons, as we free it.

For there was always light.

If only we're brave enough to see it.

If only we're brave enough to be it.

A Patriotic and Progressive Inauguration Address

"American opportunities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that the world without boundaries demands, the youth, the drive, diversity and openness, of endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention."  President Barack Obama, inauguration address January 21, 2013.

My favorite lines from today's 2nd inauguration address by President Obama focused on what it means to be a patriotic and inclusive society. 

What is Patriotism?  "...our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity..." President Obama

Although Republicans claim "God and Country" as a patriotic logo, their political party created an extremist agenda opposing immigration, universal coverage for health care, cuts to social programs like Medicare and Social Security (even though Americans contribute to these plans) and income re-distribution.

This is what President Obama said about "God and Country" Patriotism: 

"My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, (but) not party."

Moreover, Republican patriotism also includes support for national security supported by generous allocations for defense spending. 

On the other hand, Democrats claim patriotism as "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All", creating a Progressive foundation for the politics of inclusion. Democrats see patriotism as being, pro-immigration, supporting universal health care including Medicare and Medicaid, and income re-distribution by taxing the rich and super rich at a rate higher than the middle class. Democrats are supportive of investments in national security, but not by providing back door subsidies to rich defense contractors at the expense of cuts to safety net social programs.  

President Obama said this about Progressive American Patriotism:  

"We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work, when the wages of honest labor will liberate families from the brink of hardship."

"We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal not just in the eyes of God but also in our own."
"A nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American, that is what this moment requires." 
"We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit."

"For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative."

"We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations."

"Being true to our founding (patriotic) documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness."

"Progress does not compel us to settle century’s long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time."

"But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream.  My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time, not only with the votes we cast, but the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideas."

President Barack H. Obama gave a long awaited Progressive Patriotic inauguration speech today. 

For this blogger who watched on black and white TV while President John F. Kennedy spoke about "passing the torch" to a new generation, today's inauguration speech invoked this image as a progressive moment. President Kennedy's "torch" metaphor is now a beacon for those who believe in patriotism as meaning inclusiveness, compassion and support for citizens to live freely in our land of opportunity.

Congratulations to Progressive Patriots- President Barack H. Obama and Vice-President Joseph Biden.