Dear President Trump

Dear President Trump,

I suspect that your time as president has not been what you might have expected.  The open antagonism by many representatives of the press, the betrayal by some of your former employees and appointees, the less than 50% approval rating by your constituents to date, and the seemingly pointless Mueller investigation, not to mention the lack of credit you have received for the booming economy, might all add up to a low job satisfaction score.  While you may have expected this different response when compared to the rarefied air of the CEO boardroom, and the sets of your various entertainment shows where the Boss is respected, never questioned, always obeyed, you most likely associated more obedience towards the president and his words when you took the oath of office, than what you have experienced so far. 

When I accept that you ran for President out of concern for America and its future, I truly feel sorry for you and for the obstacles that you perceive.  In many ways, being President is a no-win job, where a large percentage of citizens will disagree with every one of your decisions, and where reverence and/or
historical glory is very rarely realized until well after your time has passed.  I don't believe there is any job on Earth which includes such a high degree of outside criticism than President of the Untied States, yet I don't see that understanding exhibited in your reactions.  In that regard, I think you held incorrectly conceived presumptions, despite the love and adoration you experience at your rallies.

America is not run by the words and good feelings of a rally, but by digging deep into the problems that we face, gleaning information from multiple viewpoints, and arriving at solutions that provide the best course of action, then explaining those actions to the people who might need to understand their share in any one particular solution may be limited, but will be accounted for in a future solution.  That we all take steps forward together, even when some steps are smaller than others.

I know that sacrifice is not one of your favorite words and is certainly not consistent with your Make America Great Again message, but it is nonetheless an important aspect to all major initiatives.  It is why it is critical for those of us who believe in a more environmentally conscious direction for America, need also to assuage the fears of those who feed their families via work in the fossil fuel industries.  Coal, in particular, is not our future, but that does not mean we should ignore the real pain that some Americans will suffer as the coal industry fades away.

At this point, after reading the redacted version of the Mueller investigation, after 28 months of your relentless attacks on our environment via cabinet appointments, regulation rollbacks and treaty withdrawals, after the thousands of tweets which belittle your political rivals, and those Americans who support their viewpoints, after the insidious results of your scapegoat tactics which dehumanize those born south of our border, and have done irreparable harm to countless families through the child separation policies that you initiated, and yes, even after the continued strength of our economy, I respectfully request that you resign as President of the United States.

Resign, Mr. President, not because you are a quitter or might be perceived as running from a fight, not because you admit to any wrong doing, and certainly not because you might be impeached.  Resign because it would be good for America.

Resign so we can avoid 18 more months of congressional hearings into the mistakes of your 2016 presidential campaign. 

Resign so we can avoid another year and a half of hearing about Russian interference in our elections, and spend that time creating a firewall in our social media industry to prevent future incursions.

Resign so we can join the rest of the world in addressing the real emergency of climate change rather than avoiding the cost and sacrifice that we need to face.

Resign so that there is no excuse for those in Washington to address our crumbling infrastructure, especially our outdated electricity grid.

Resign so we can look our burgeoning national deficit fully in the face and make the hard choices which will protect our most vulnerable citizens, while continuing to provide entrepreneurial opportunity to regrow the middle class, even if that means asking the super wealthy to care more about America than their personal wealth.

Resign so that the American electorate might pause in its love affair with party affiliation, might realize that America is greater than the sum of its parties but only when they work to advance the country, not just their tribe.

Resign so the Republican Party can turn fully away from the selfish populism that has convinced almost half of Americans that immigrants are evil, money is all that matters, and that cooperation is a sign of weakness.

Resign so that the next election is about the future of America, and ideas that catapult us into that future, as opposed to a ideas that represent a last gasp attempt to relive the past, despite the false narrative that nostalgia provides when the bad times and injustices are ignored. 

Resign because it will confirm to your devotees that you were a great man, and help convince some of your critics that you were able to put America First, even above yourself.

Regards and respect,

Joe Pugnetti