Trump: Undemocratic & More... LETTER TO THE EDITOR By Bill Wilson   February 12, 2026 Dear Editor, Alleghany Journal: Let us give President Trump credit for being a major player in bringing about a peace accord in the middle east between Hamas and Israel. That was a remarkable accomplishment and he should be congratulated. Whether or not it sticks is another question. On the other hand, most of his programs so far are bizarre and undemocratic, even though some of the goals he is trying to reach are commendable. It is the “bull Moose” tactics he uses that seem more at home in some third world country that bother many of us. I sometimes feel like we are in the back seat of a bus being driven by a drunk driver! The “Rule of Law” seems to have gone out of the window A number of political commentators have likened Trump to Adolf Hitler. Some of you are old enough to remember Hitler and his “Night of the Long Knives,” when he sent his assassins out in Germany, in the dead of night, to kill not only his enemies, but also friends who might threaten him politically. I hate to agree with that comparison but I am afraid it is true. Just look at his vengeful tactics against General Mark Kelly and Mr. Powell, to name a few. Look also at his ICE raids, netting not only illegals and criminals, but also many innocent people – and without due process of law. Have you been keeping up with how many courts have ruled against Trump’s tactics – a bunch!? I was always taught – as were most of you – that truth and honesty were the best policies. That was preached to us by the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the churches, the schools, and our parents. Our president does not seem to play by those rules and seems to be morally bankrupt. I have friends and family who think he is great but I just shake my head at them. If you have not read Trump’s sister-in-law’s book entitled “Always too much, but never enough,” I recommend that to you. Mary Trump tells the story of living in the same household with Donald as he was trained by his father to be a corrupt real estate mogul in New York City. She tells about how Donald fleeced his brother, her husband, out of his birthright. Trump also apparently found a way to avoid serving in the military but, ironically, found it necessary in his political statements to call our soldiers “suckers” and “losers.” How do we, as a people, justify supporting a man of that caliber?! I am really worried about Ukraine. Trump has weakened our NATO allies to the point where Putin must laugh himself to sleep every night. Is there anyone, other than Trump, who doesn’t understand that Putin is bound and determined to take Ukraine by force and that as long as Trump withholds major aid to Ukraine, he will continue those efforts. Our NATO allies must think we have lost our minds! For those of you who hunt and fish and are nature lovers, you might want to keep your eye on what Trump is doing to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to a January 4, 2026 article in the Roanoke Times, the Trump administration has transformed the EPA by cutting federal limits on air and water pollution and promoting fossil fuels conflicting with EPA’s historic goal of protecting human health and the environment. The administration has already announced plans to abandon soot pollution rules, loosen rules around harmful refrigerants, limit wetlands protections, and weaken gas mileage rules. Trump has also weakened the Endanger Species Act. What do you think all of that is doing to our wildlife? As a hunter and fisherman, I am deeply concerned. We have almost lost the Bobwhite Quail. Grouse are declining drastically and other species are barely hanging on. Why in the world would we want to go backwards?! Go figure. I am an old, conservative Democrat, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates for 16 years, but while I was there, I got along well with most Republicans. To be sure, we had our disagreements, but when the campaigns settled down, we usually worked together. The amazing thing to me now is how the Republican members of Congress sit by and let Trump bull his way from one brutal endeavor to another. I cannot help but think of the “Pieded Piper” leading Lemming to the sea – where they drowned. All over this country, people are re-acting to Trump’s authoritarian tactics shouting “No Kings!,” and calling him out for his undemocratic tactics. I am almost 88 years old and was around when Hitler “buffaloed” the German people, so I know that people can be sold a bill of goods if the salesman is telling them what they want to hear. I very much appreciate party politics and, usually, good, strong arguments are healthy for our country, but when the “Rule of Law” is abandoned, we are in deep trouble and I am afraid our “Drunk Driver” is taking us in that direction. There is an old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Let’s don’t get fooled again. I get no pleasure saying these things but if people do not speak up – especially when the Congress is mute – we are in big trouble. William T. Wilson (Mr. William T. Wilson is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1974- 89); a member of the Izaak Walton League; and former president of the Jackson River Preservation Association.)

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