A critic of High Plains Blogger blistered a recent post with a comment in which he challenged me on Donald Trump’s performance as president of the United States.

I do not know this gentleman, but I am glad to hear from him, even as he skewers me from time to time. His comment ended this way:

I also get that your hatred for President Trump so clouds your views that there can be nothing the President does that will be a positive for this country. Nothing except resign. Am I wrong?

I replied to him directly on the blog, but I want to share some additional views here.

I wrote in a subsequent post that my opposition to Donald Trump is visceral and deeply personal. He is unfit for the office he holds.

However, there are plenty of things the president could do to win me over. Given his performance to date and the campaign that resulted in his bizarre 2016 election victory, he isn’t likely to do a single thing to make a fan out of me.

What would he have to do? He would need to fundamentally change his view of government. Trump would have to exhibit in full view what I call an “authentic” sense of compassion, empathy and understanding of the plight of those who weren’t given the privileges he received upon being born into a family of considerable means. He would have to exhibit a sense of humility and actually admit when he makes a mistake.

Is the president beyond all that? Well, you can be the judge of that. I am quite certain a 72-year-old man whose sole mission in life prior to becoming a politician was aimed at self-enrichment, who never has demonstrated a commitment to public service will never change.

Are my views “clouded” by bias against Donald Trump, as my critic has suggested?

You bet they are! Here’s the thing, though … he has earned my scorn.

***

You can read the post that elicited the comment and you can see the gentleman’s full response here:

https://highplainsblogger.com/2019/07/so-just-who-is-the-politician-who-hates-america/#comments