John Guggenmos: Dear President Trump
Dear President Trump,
This letter has been incredibly difficult for me to write. I wanted to write something positive and inspirational, and that somehow we’re all in this together. But I didn’t vote for you and I don’t feel as hopeful with the prospect of change that you’ve conveyed is coming. A great number of injustices will occur because you’ve given license to them. I wish you understood the genuine concerns of millions of Americans are serious and what you’ve shown us is a dangerous tendency to disregard the truth, bend the rules, and encroach on our personal freedoms instead of protecting them. History is a massive steamroller that crushes in agonizing slow motion, and this is happening to everyone — even the winners of this political season, though they don’t yet see it.
I watched in your first press conference how you couldn’t resist making fun of Senator Lindsey Graham one last time. Two days prior, you couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Meryl Streep. Further, saying, “For the 100th time, I never ‘mocked’ a disabled reporter” — all I can say, Mr. Trump, is that all of our eyes didn’t suddenly stop working, and we did see what you desperately wish didn’t happen. As I’ve watched the footage of you mocking the reporter, again and again, I wonder what would have happened if President Obama had openly mocked a disabled reporter during his campaign? What would you have done then?
As I watched that press conference, I thought back to how Tucker Carlson once described George Bush’s public speaking skills, “as painful as watching a drunk old man walk across a very icy road.” It was painful at best, but you could take a note from George Bush, your fellow Republican, and try to be a humble and dignified public servant. I didn’t believe in George Bush’s vision of America, but I respected the office and the man.
Your campaign, possibly aided by the Russians and WikiLeaks was incredibly rough, and the country is deeply polarized and divided as a result. While I acknowledge you were elected President, you lost the popular majority by three million votes and won by less than one percent in a handful of states in the electoral college. So don’t act as if you won. The majority of Americans don’t agree with you.
Nevertheless, Mr. Trump, you will be president of all Americans — not just the minority that voted for you. You will be president to my Muslim spouse and Muslim in-laws, and all the Muslim Americans; and the black lives movement and the entire Community of color; to Colin Kaepernick, who you said looked like a third grader on the playground while he peacefully showed his right to peaceful protest; to the transgendered community who needs protection in every state in the country to have basic bathroom rights and freedom from harassment in employment, fair housing and healthcare; to all the small business owners you screwed and refused to pay for work they did for you; to everyone you ever boldly harassed with a lawsuit; to all the people that you could have helped by actually donating money to charity instead of lying about it including your own foundation; to Khiz and Ghazala Khan, the POWs, to Senator John McCain and all the suffers from PTSD; to the families of disabled and to Serge Kovaleski, and to every women of sexual assault and every woman you called a dog, pig, slob, Miss Piggy or rated as a four and to the other women you openly mocked, from Rosie O’Donnell and Elizabeth Warren to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Hillary Clinton.
You’ll also be the President to President Obama, even though for years you pursued the birther rhetoric. And to all the Mexican Americans you demonized and their children and to all of the immigrants and naturalized citizen’s. You’ll be President to our rich history of immigration, the institution of freedom of the press and to the truth itself.
You’re the fresh outsider and will now hold the same office as Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, Johnson, and Obama. Congratulations. You’re the President.
Now act like it and serve us well.
Sincerely,
John Guggenmos
American, Small Business Owner, George Washington and University of Wyoming alumni, ANC commissioner, Son to Republican parents Lloyd & Carolyn Guggenmos, proud Hillary supporter, not congressionally represented District of Columbia resident, proudly serving the gay nightlife community of Washington, D.C. for 27 years
@johnguggenmos
Read more Letters to Trump:
- A. Cornelius Baker, Citizen
- Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute
- Alexa Rodriguez, The Trans-Latina Coalition DMV
- Alicia Garza, Co-creator of the Black Lives Matter network
- André Hereford, Writer
- Ba’Naka, Duchess of Protocol
- Bernie Delia, Capital Pride Alliance, Inc.
- Cathy Renna, LGBTQ Activist
- Chris Allen, DC Log Cabin Republicans
- Clarence J. Fluker, Former Obama Appointee
- Dana Beyer, M.D., Gender Rights Maryland
- Danielle Moodie-Mills, Advocate, Writer and Strategist
- David Mariner, The DC Center
- David von Storch, President, UA Companies
- Emil de Cou, Pacific Northwest Ballet
- Eric Schaeffer, Signature Theatre
- Gil Steinlauf, Adas Israel Congregation
- Holly Goldmann, Capital Trans Pride
- Jeff Manabat, The Kinsey Sicks
- Jose Carrasquillo, Freelance Theatre Director and Educator
- June Crenshaw, The Wanda Alston Foundation
- Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Mark Pocan, U.S. Representative, Wisconsin
- Mike Daisey, Author and Working Artist
- Mitchell Gold, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings
- Nicholas F. Benton, The Falls Church News Press
- Rayceen Pendarvis, Emcee, Entertainer, Activist
- Rea Carey, National LGBTQ Task Force
- Schuyler Bailar, First Men’s NCAA D1 Transgender Athlete
- Serge Seiden, Theater Maker
- Sterling Washington, Consultant, Musician
The opinions expressed in these letters are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations and this magazine, its staff and contributors.
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