Editor, News-Register:

As the 78-year-old, 34-time convicted felon Donald J. Trump prepares to assume office, it sadly appears that he has even less respect for the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law than previously, based on his plans to drastically alter U.S. domestic and foreign policy. As well as his announced proposed cabinet and administrative staff appointments, and such is strongly indicative that his ego driven motivation for revenge on his political adversaries while rewarding members of the billionaire class of which he is a member, who very strongly support him as he has long done them, simply does not bode well in the least for the future of our great country.

It is predicted that the proposed Trump tax cuts that are designed to primarily benefit the wealthiest among us by far while providing little specific evidence as to how they will be paid would add trillions more to our nation’s already extremely high $1.8 trillion budget deficit. This along with the planned imposition of placing high tariffs on incoming goods from our trading partners as well as the forced mass exodus of a multitude of immigrants from our country, many of whom have contributed significantly to the betterment of our economy could well place the U.S. in a significant long term downward financial spiral.

Recall that when Trump reluctantly left office in January 2021, after he without question legitimately lost the 2020 presidential election, he stated that the U.S. economy would tank under the incoming president Joe Biden. However, under the Biden administration the U.S. economy is currently the envy of the world as the stock market has never been higher, more private sector jobs have been added and the unemployment rate is near an all-time low.

In addition it appears that a great many of Trump’s proposed cabinet and administrative picks are woefully unqualified and lacking the necessary experience and have very concerning personal and professional histories, as it appears quite obvious that experience knowledge and professionalism are not priorities for Trump requiring only an unflinching personal loyalty to him which must supersede any loyalty they may have to the U.S.

In closing, I equate the persona of Mr. Trump to be amazingly quite similar to that of the character of Eddie Haskell as brilliantly portrayed by Ken Osmond on the iconic television series ” Leave it to Beaver” in which the character constantly promoted the image that he was the center of the universe and could do no wrong, much like that of the “reality show” personality type of Mr. Trump.

As a result, I am most concerned as to what the ego driven, anti fact-based reality that our incoming president will have on our country as well as the world.

Richard Hord

Martins Ferry