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As I noted in my last newsletter, I have concluded the ethics case against President Trump is based on four specific ethical failings or “deadly sins” that render him an unfit leader. I have addressed three in my most recent newsletters: his corruption, the tyranny he exercises while seeking to punish every individual and institution who opposes him, and his repeated and habitual lying. Today’s newsletter focuses on the fourth and final deadly sin, his disregard and callous contempt for the poor and those in need. We have always counted on our political leaders to care for all Americans, whether motivated by genuine concern or by simply wanting to get reelected. Trump, not eligible for a third term, is unconstrained in governing with little care for anyone but himself. From his first election as President, Trump’s comments and policies have demonstrated a consistent lack of empathy and concern for those in need, indeed for anyone who cannot give him something he wants. This causes him to disregard the impact of his policies on anyone but the wealthiest class that can give him financial wealth or acceptance into their “society.” It was telling that he arrayed the richest tech leaders in a row behind him at his second inauguration. By contrast, he has no empathy or concern for the poor and less fortunate, who can offer him nothing. His lack of empathy was long ago apparent in labeling all immigrants as murders and rapists, rather than deprived individuals seeking a better life or refugees fleeing real violence and persecution. The recent abrupt termination of temporary protected status (TPS) for 348,000 Venezuelans and 260,000 Haitians whose countries are still chaotic and dangerous is particularly revealing of his disregard. Trump general policies toward immigrants demonstrate the same cruel disdain. Instead of focusing on those immigrants with criminal convictions as he promised in the campaign, his team is rounding up mothers and fathers who have built law-abiding multi-decade lives in the U.S. in order to meet an arbitrary goal of 1 million deportations in 2025. The recent violent capture and deportation of a father of three U.S. Marine sons, an individual who paid taxes and became a pillar of his local community over decades, symbolizes the heartless calculations governing these policies. The lack of empathy and generosity was on display from Trump’s first day in office in January. One of his first executive orders effectively shut down USAID, the primacy vehicle by which the U.S. has saved lives and encouraged economic development around the world, an effort funded by less than 1% of the federal budget. Ending one USAID program, PEPFAR, the U.S. effort which has saved millions of lives in Africa from HIV/AIDS, is particularly egregious. Hundreds of thousands will die in developing nations this year because of the withdrawal of U.S. support. Trump and his appointees are clear about his motives. Any dollar for a purpose beyond the U.S. borders is a dollar wasted. None are “consistent with administration priorities.” Even the way these cuts were carried out demonstrated an indifference to the impact on real human beings; the abrupt ending of aid, even attempts to claw back aid given in the past, were designed to immediately disrupt broader global humanitarian efforts. Trump’s domestic legislative agenda is pursuing similar troubling ethical principles. His omnibus legislation, still being debated in the U.S. Senate and House, is designed to take many life-saving benefits from the poorest Americans. Aid to our domestic poor is also “inconsistent with administration priorities.” The proposed law would reduce Medicare benefits, subsidies for medical insurance for the poor, and SNAP benefits (food stamps) which have protected nutrition for the neediest in the country. Proposals would eliminate college support for up to half of the poorest Americans now receiving Pell grants and attempting to claw their way out of poverty. It seems there are no programs to aid the needy which escape his focus. His attempt to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency and transfer only a portion of the effort to the States will deny future victims of disasters the generosity and expertise that America, through FEMA, has offered before. Two other patterns bear witness to Trump’s cruelty and disdain for the welfare of individuals. Despite his celebration of the U.S. military’s effective attack on Iran, Trump has frequently demonstrated a disregard and even contempt for those who serve the country and died in military service. He has called those who gave their lives in war “losers” and asking “why would anyone do that” when reminded of the sacrifices military men and women make for the country. His recent efforts to remove acknowledgement of the military contributions of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals are part of this broader disregard. The other pattern is his pattern of belittling and punishing anyone, even individuals with decades of public service, who do not feed his ego through praise or visible support. The latest victim is Republican Sen. Thomas Tillis from North Carolina, who announced last week he would not stand for re-election faced by Trump threats to challenge him. He and many before him are victims of Trump’s vindictiveness for not toeing the line 100% of the time. It is certainly true that no administration can address the needs of all who want government support. It is also too much to expect that some benefits will not flow to those who support the majority party or political leader. But Trump’s behavior is something far beyond these realities. His initiatives consistently favor the wealthy and punish the poor. The only conclusion one can draw from the pattern of behavior, statements, and policies is that Trump is lacking basic empathy and concern for others. His ethical character is fundamentally flawed. His ethical compass points only one way, toward his own self-interest. Given that he has 3.5 more years in office, we need to create as many guardrails to his self-centered behavior as we can. Voicing our objections in every venue we can is an important first step. So also are attempts to influence the congressional mid-term elections and local elections of all kinds, as well as voicing support for embattled judges who affirm the legal guardrails we already have. Several readers have suggested other Trump ‘sins,” but I think these four—corruption, tyranny, lying, and lack of empathy for others—are the core of his ethical failings as President. I will move on to other topics in my next newsletter but I am acutely aware we will be coping with the implications of having an ethically-flawed leader for many years to come. Perhaps it will cause all of us to focus more on “character” in our future political choices.
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