Despicable Trump

by Carlotta Grandstaff, Hamilton

Donald Trump’s recent failed attempt at international diplomacy in Alaska was notable for a few things. He apparently doesn’t know that Alaska is a U.S. state, or whether he was going to Alaska or Russia. And he left without having achieved anything in his good ol’ bro talks with Vladimir Putin.

Let’s recap: Putin is a dictator, he attacked the sovereign nation of Ukraine without provocation, kidnapped thousands of Ukrainian children and sent them to live with Russian families, precise locations unknown. He bombs Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools. He murders his political opponents by throwing them off tall buildings or by poisoning them. He puts them in far off prisons or has them followed to other counties and poisoned. He is an international thug, wanted for war crimes. There is an international arrest warrant out for him. 

And yet Donald Trump invites him to America and gives him a red carpet welcome. Literally, a red carpet was laid for this murderous thug by – wait for it – American Marines.

Americans of all ages and generations have an image of U.S. Marines in our heads. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s famous. Its the one showing six Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi at the battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945. Now we have another image, this one from Aug. 15, 2025, of U.S. Marines on their hands and knees straightening out the red carpet for a wanted international criminal as he greets the only convicted felon to have ever been elected president of the United States.

It’s despicable. Trump is despicable. He deserves neither support nor respect. He deserves contempt.