Dear President-Elect Trump:
I laughed inside when I first saw you announcing your bid to become president. Then I heard the truth behind your message. And I stopped laughing, and began to believe. Then you said something so outrageous, so hurtful, so self-centered. And I thought: “There’s no way I can support him.” And I looked for someone else.
Then I heard the truth behind your message. And I looked beyond your pride, your brash statements, the crazy parts of your message. And I found a way to hope again. Then I heard the hatred behind your message. And I thought: “I can never support this.” And I looked for someone else.
Then I saw the strength of your personality. And I thought: “This person can develop, can change.” And I again found a way to hope that you could lead. Then I saw your intransigent pride and complete unwillingness to heed wise counsel. And I looked for someone else.
Then this process repeated and repeated dozens of times. And in the end, I saw your treatment of women; your verbal and sexual abuse. And I saw my wife and my daughters. And I heard them cry and saw their convulsive reaction to your treatment of women. And I was done. Not you; Never you.
Then the sun rose Wednesday morning over America with you as our President-Elect. Millions cheered. Millions cried. And I looked upon you and simultaneously saw both a man of greatness and A man of utter smallness. A man capable of returning America to greatness on the one hand, and A man capable of plunging America further down, lower than it has ever been on the other.
And I realized that which occurs is completely your choice. You will do one or the other, to Washington, to America, to the World. It is entirely your choice. Which Donald Trump will emerge: The larger than life visionary leader? Or the small, self centered, insecure, vindictive tyrant? The choice is entirely yours.
Finally, as the sun set on Wednesday, I understood that America’s duty—mine and everyone else’s is to do everything in our power to persuade the right Donald Trump to stand up, to cast aside, forever, the wrong Donald Trump. So that you lead us to greatness, rather than herd us to destruction. With these conversations, I’m doing what I can do to motivate your best self to turn away your worst self. What I can do is all anyone can expect. We expect you to do what you can do.
Because the fate of the world largely depends on the choice of who you will be.
You are amazingly prepared to be president in many ways. And you are incredibly unprepared and currently incapable to do so in so many others.
Decide to be the custodian of America’s values, to be the protector of America’s minorities, to be the champion of America’s women. to be someone in whom we can take pride and for whom we feel gratitude, rather than someone we despise and from whom we feel only embarrassment.
I hope these daily conversations will influence you and motivate you to choose wisely, who you will be.
I look forward to our discussions.
Sincerely,
