This is how Trump drags us into his delusions
Manhattan: Just because someone is on the opposite side of the aisle from me doesn’t mean they are not a great person. I also have never been a huge Kamala Harris fan (if she were running against Nikki Haley, I would have to seriously consider pulling the lever for Haley). That said, I find it difficult to rationalize how any voter with any common sense is unable to see how potentially dangerous Donald Trump’s present psychological condition is to this country if he’s elected.
In a critical debate, he promoted the “Haitians in Springfield eating pets” stuff as fact even as the local woman who started the rumor online now admits she had no legitimate basis for posting about it. Since that night, we’ve had multiple bomb threats in that town, closing schools and businesses. If Lil’ Donald is spreading fear and hate-inducing misinformation like this, how can anyone believe what he, as president, might report to us as fact when it comes to issues like pandemics or the potential for nuclear war?
Trump posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social. It’s one thing to say he’s not a fan of a celebrity who is not supporting him. It’s a whole ‘nother thing for a presidential candidate to use the words “I HATE” in his post in this hyper-anxious, angry and polarized climate. I hesitate to say this, but I believe it strongly: It’s almost like he is utilizing the same strategy as he did on Jan. 6, subtly encouraging his most rabid or unhinged followers to commit violence against someone he perceives as an enemy. Hideous! Gary Stein
Crowd envy
Massapequa, L.I.: Of course Donnie says he hates Taylor Swift — not because she endorsed Kamala Harris, but because she draws larger audiences than him all the time. Ron Boehning
State of delusion
Manhattan: It’s obvious to most people I know that Trump lost the election for president in 2020. If he believes otherwise like he says, Trump needs help right now. Alan Lehrer
Mr. Clean
Yonkers: Defund our police? Who else could you call to fix our criminal mess? The Fire Department puts out a fire and leaves a burned mess! The Sanitation Department cleans the public’s mess and leaves! The Department of Education can’t teach a thing with an overcrowded mess of migrants in our classes. Hospitals are an overcrowded mess with illegal immigrants and citizens waiting countless hours and days for help! But one man can clean up all of our messes. Vote for Trump! Phyllis Tropea
MLK’s opposite
Whitestone: Donald Trump said that Mark Robinson, gubernatorial candidate in North Carolina, is Martin Luther King on steroids. He said Robinson is Martin Luther King times two. He said this in spite of the fact that Robinson has said he is a “Black Nazi,” and that he would like to see slavery brought back to our nation (he said he would like to own some slaves). I can hear Robinson’s speech in comparison to MLK’s inspiring “I Have a Dream” speech. Robinson’s speech would be “I Have a Nightmare.” Dorothy Lyons
Veiled bigotry
Staten Island: It’s curious that despite Donald Trump’s frequent negative rhetoric about immigrants, two of his three wives were immigrants and four of his five children were born to immigrant mothers. This contradiction raises questions about whether his stance is truly about immigration or if it’s more about race. It seems the issue may not be immigration at all, but rather which immigrants are deemed acceptable — and whether they fit a certain image. Gina Ottrando
Just countries
Brooklyn: Trump calls several countries of the world “s-hole countries.” There are no such thing as “s-hole” countries. Some countries are poor, but they do the best they can for their people. If Trump wants to see a real s-hole, all he has to do is look in the mirror. Arthur Mazlin
Worse than a gangster
Brooklyn: When Hillary Clinton ran against him, people asked me why I would vote for her over Trump, and I told them, “If Al Capone ran against Trump, I would vote for Al.” Now I would have one more reason to vote for Al. For all his faults, Capone was not a traitor. Trump is. He tried to overturn a legal election. If that is not being a traitor, what is? David Raisman
Candidate of character
Las Vegas: Please vote for me, Ronald Crump, for the 666th House District in the New York Legislature. I am a macho man, as my latest wife is 24 years younger than me. My other qualifications include: endorsed by the New York Fascist Society; friend of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin; advocate for teens to own AR-15-type weapons; agree that you should use demeaning nicknames for women; being a role model for children to lie, bully and use profanity; no concern about global warming impacting all children; only one impeachment when at the New York City Council; only three draft deferments; only five women have accused me of sexual transgressions; only 17 felony convictions. Mark Bird
Run on the numbers
Ridgewood: Why hasn’t Kamala Harris spoken about the economy? Social Security and government workers received a 5.9% increase in January 2022, an 8.7% increase in January 2023 and a 3.2% increase in January 2024 for a total increase of 17.8%, and they will receive another increase in January. The United States had the lowest inflation rate of any major country in the past four years. The stock market since President Biden’s term began has gone from 30,000 to 42,000, a 40% increase for 401(k) plans. John Sendlein
Forced on us
The Villages, Fla.: To Voicer Patricia Barr: You should be outraged! If President Biden remains a well-functioning president as you claim, he should still be the Democrats’ candidate. Professional journalists did not kick Biden out of the race — on the contrary, Biden decided not to run on his own. And just like that, 14 million primary votes were disregarded! You now have a candidate who never received a single vote, has not accomplished anything in three-plus years as vice president and the “last person in the room,” refuses to hold an unscripted press conference and will not specifically state her policies if elected. Sal Iteonadis
Gaslighting fans
Danbury, Conn.: Yankees manager Aaron Boone claims that despite the current performance of Clay Holmes and his recent 10-plus earned run average, Holmes’s pitching results are “really good.” I think Giancarlo Stanton could strike out 17 consecutive times and Boone would say that he’s very close to being locked in on the strike zone. Despite what we witness, Boone almost always suggests that what we see with our own eyes isn’t true. Reminds me of Kamala Harris. Bob Bergin
Reckless endangerment
Daytona Beach, Fla.: Re “Murder rap vs. trooper back on table in girl’s chase death” (Sept. 20): I wonder where is the responsibility of the father. He was pulled over by police and then sped off, refusing to stop, so that the trooper had to do something to stop the vehicle. Why wasn’t the vehicle stopping? Were there drugs or guns in the car? Was the driver a felon running? There is no excuse for not stopping. The blood of his daughter is solely on his hands. The fact that a liberal New York court is trying to blame the officer, who was doing his job, is ludicrous. Perhaps if the father acted as an adult and stopped for a traffic infraction, his daughter would be alive today. Sandra Weiss
Ticking time bomb
Brooklyn: It’s awful that a bystander was shot by the police (“Knife-wielding fare beater shot by cops in subway has long rap sheet, mental illness,” Sept. 21). Without a doubt. However, the whole situation should never have arisen. The fare beater who threatened the cop should never have been loose in the first place. How many arrests does a man have to have before a judge realizes this person is dangerous and does not belong on the streets? Bob Gomez