Montana values

by Scott and Donna Fisher, Stevensville

Montanans say they value honesty, integrity, loyalty, and fairness. How does Donald Trump’s character stack up against those values?

He violated his oath to uphold the Constitution and support the peaceful transfer of power when he attempted to overthrow the 2020 election by inciting the January 6 assault on the Capitol building that caused five deaths. 

He concocted the “Big Lie” that he won the 2020 election even after 60 court cases rejected his claim of election fraud.

He was convicted of 34 felony counts of scheming to influence the 2016 election and may be sentenced to years in jail or house arrest.

He successfully stacked the Supreme Court with the help of political leaders who want to deny women’s rights to protect their health and lives.

His additional three trials have been endlessly delayed by his abuse of the legal system.  

He was convicted of sexual assault and required to pay $83 million for defaming the victim.

He was found guilty of stealing $495 million from investors, defrauding banks, and falsifying his tax returns. 

He often paid no income taxes during the past 20 years; other years he paid only $2000 and two years he paid only $750.

He went bankrupt 6 times, cheating his companies’ hourly workers out of their wages, while he continued to live in splendor and luxury. 

He promotes replacing the Constitution with a dictatorship, one that gives him total power.

He exalts himself. He says he is “the way.” He’s a “wannabe dictator,” according to General Mark Milley, his former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He leads the Republican Party in the direction of lawlessness. He creates an image of himself as a hero to criminals, political operatives, and his followers by flaunting his criminality and mob-like style of control. 

He contributed to the deaths of over a million Americans by denying scientific evidence about COVID.  

He dismisses inconvenient facts. Evidence is irrelevant to him. He creates an alternate reality of lies. 

He claims the national situation is exceptionally disastrous—exceptional—so the situation justifies him in taking control. 

He bullies his followers to conformity. He threatens all who disagree with or oppose him and fires anyone who does not. (He has made Republican senators afraid of him to the point that they would not convict him in the impeachment trial even though they admitted knowing he was guilty.)

He threatens judges, jurors, even family members of judges, and any and all who do or may oppose him.

He directs the Republican Party to oppose immigration legislation that they have previously agreed with so he can blame Biden for the problem when he campaigns for president.

He gets others to do his dirty work, a lesson he learned from mob bosses and Putin.

He mocks war heroes like John McCain and their families, calling soldiers who died at Normandy “suckers and losers.” He said that disabled vets were an embarrassment—that no one wanted to see them in a parade.  

He dodged the draft with a phony medical problem.

He threatens and even promises the use of violence if he doesn’t win the 2024 election.

He openly admires foreign dictators, specifically Putin.

He is directing Republicans to withhold aid to Ukraine, assisting Putin in his goal to take control of Europe.

He has, and continues to use, Russian wealth, security advisors, and hi-tech experts to further his election ambitions.

He withdrew America from participation in the world effort to slow climate change.

He ended the U.S. agreement that stopped Iran’s participation in nuclear bomb development.

He unlawfully confiscated a truckload of America’s top secret documents and carelessly exposed them to access by foreign powers. American security and the lives of American military may have been lost as a result.

Does this sound like a candidate worthy of your support? How does he square with your Montana values?