The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Jerry Wilkerson
Are you losing faith in America? Well, stop right now.
Yes, American democracy is under attack as Trump declares, 鈥淚 can do anything I want!鈥 And he鈥檒l do whatever he can get away with. Trump, the egotistical, self-aggrandizing, opportunistic rube, doesn鈥檛 understand complexity, so he acts as if things are easy to accomplish. Still, every day, we see his failures and humiliating backpedaling on deals, while claiming to have personally ended seven or eight wars. Why not claim a dozen?
Less than half of America, 49.8% of voters, voted for him. That means 50% of Americans didn鈥檛 vote for him. In terms of the popular vote, more people cast their ballots for someone else. Trump鈥檚 margin of victory was only 1.5 percentage points, the narrowest margin in the 32 presidential races since 1900. And Trump calls his slim win a mandate. It鈥檚 a political plurality rejection.
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He鈥檚 wearing us down. Trump, the 鈥淚, I, I, me, me, me鈥 president is the mortal enemy of truth and facts. He puts himself above country, transforming America into a place where reality is banished, history erased, dissent punished, and loyalty oaths demanded. He operates without ethical oversight and makes his own rules. Lifetime factual data shows Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives, cheats at golf, and doesn鈥檛 pay his debts. And his Supreme Court justifies his unconstitutional actions.
George Orwell warned in his dystopian novel 1984, 鈥淭hose who control the present control the past, and those who control the past control the future.鈥 Trump and sidekick Stephen Miller distort that warning to support their MAGA crusade, using censorship to manipulate news, threaten the media, erase historical records, and rewrite the past to fit the worldview of this all-powerful autocrat.
Republicans in the House and Senate shamefully neglect their duty to serve as a check and balance on the presidency. They are complicit and enable Trump鈥檚 oppression while fearing his anger and political wrath, exposing their authoritarian nightmare.
We should be ashamed of Trump. World leaders already are. No president has ever invited a war criminal into our country and greeted him on a red carpet with a firm, welcoming handshake. Trump鈥檚 pathetic ego makes him believe Putin likes him. Does Putin, the world鈥檚 butcher, have dirt or compromising photos of Trump that could damage the Commander-in-Chief鈥檚 reputation? Is our president being extorted? We see Vlad playing his Donald like a cheap banjo.
Does this look like America to you? Trump, the un-American president, prioritizes power above all else, leading the country down a costly path of financial pain, misery, and cruelty. Relentlessly, Trump seeks to control everything he desires in the U.S., with the Justice Department politicizing law enforcement, acting as his personal legal team under his command. Make no mistake: Trump, the man-child, is a lifelong greedy blowhard driven by rage and revenge 鈥 a privileged, entitled child immune to life鈥檚 hardships.
We are on the precipice of a recession, with Trump鈥檚 GOP debt bomb and tariff taxes about to detonate. America now exceeds $34 trillion in debt, with no signs of slowing down as the U.S. approaches an economic crash. Trump will try to rewrite the story of why our country is loaded with debt and stuck with his inflationary tariffs. He will attempt to hide the adverse effects of his Big Beautiful Tax Bill and his presidency鈥檚 financial weaknesses by boasting and claiming that dismantling government agencies and cutting healthcare benefits are good for you.
American democracy faces grave threats. MAGA seeks to control the people instead of focusing on elections, rights, or freedom 鈥 the foundation of America. In fact, they don鈥檛 want elections at all. We must defend our freedoms. Otherwise, Trump and MAGA won鈥檛 just win the next election 鈥 they鈥檒l remain in power with malice for years.
But there鈥檚 the issue of time. The clock isn鈥檛 on Trump鈥檚 side. His age, health challenges, mental sharpness and the physical demands of the office raise concerns about what鈥檚 ahead and who will be in charge. The answer lies with 鈥淲e The People.鈥
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Jerry Wilkerson was a former press secretary for two U.S. Congressmen, a correspondent for CBS WBBM NewsRadio 780 Chicago, and the Chicago Daily News. He has served as a police commissioner and is a Navy veteran. Email: franchise@att.net