Donald Trump asks his cult of followers, ” Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” For them, the answer is whatever Trump wants to hear: They shout “NO!” The Central themes of The Trump Files will document why we are better off than in late October 2020.

My book, The Trump Files, is based on blog posts written between mid-August 2015 and February 14, 2021. During these years, my writing aimed to bear witness (based on Robert Jay Lifton’s research) to Trump’s malignant normality and we should fear it by documenting what I saw and witnessed during this period. I am still writing and bearing witness to Trump’s attempt to con the American electorate to put him back in office.

He should never enter the Oval Office again.

Here is a summary of what I observed in this list of my book’s central themes or findings. These will be helpful if you’re still wondering who you’ll be able to vote for. The findings I report here reflect the damage that Trump and his allies did to the United States. Keep in mind that Donald Trump finished his presidency by instigating the violent January 6 attack on the United States Congress.

President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris brought us out of the violence that was seen all over the world on January 6, as well as reversing Trump’s inhumane and uninformed policies that he directed from the Oval Office. He was justifiably the most scrutinized president in American history. Yet, he has managed to delay the prosecution of the indictments for trying to overthrow people’s will and for stealing boxes and boxes of classified documents and sharing some with unauthorized and most likely unknown people.

Here is a sampling of what I found. Full details of why we are better off now than four years ago can be found here.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the spread of misinformation, the impact of the virus, and the administration’s response to public health guidelines and scientific advice, led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Trump failed to provide the leadership to lead the country through the pandemic. He failed as a leader, and instead of pulling people together, he divided Americans. Read more.

Science and Environmental Policy

The Trump administration’s stance on climate change, environmental regulations, the degradation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the censorship and denial of scientific research harmed the health and well-being of all Americans. When the Biden administration came into office, they were shocked to find the disarray in various government agencies, especially the EPA. The Trump administration attacked and damaged government science, and what they did was staggering. Here are six types of attacks the Trump administration leveled on science and scientists. Read more.

Political Violence and Insurrection

I documented the events leading up to and including the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, exploring the role of Trump and his allies in inciting violence and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump led a conspiracy to try and help him stay in office, regardless of what the American voters decided. The attack on the Capitol was nearly successful. More than a thousand attackers have been criminally charged, with many sentenced to jail.

Trump should be in jail for his criminal activity surrounding the attempted coup.

In fact the LA Times published an opinion piece on the evening of the January 6 attack. Here is part of what they proposed

The president is unfit to remain in office for the next 14 days. Every second he retains the vast powers of the presidency is a threat to public order and national security. Vice President Pence, who had to be whisked off the Senate floor for his own protection, should immediately gather the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, declaring that Mr. Trump is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” 

A few days ago the owner of the Times announced the paper would no longer endorse presidential candidates. Today, the Washington Post announced it wouldn’t endorse a candidate for the presidency. Both papers are owned by billionaires. If they endorse Kamala Harris, and Trump wins, he will interfere with government approvals they need for their businesses. Editors and board members have resigned from each newspaper. Read More

Voter Suppression and Election Integrity

I examined efforts to suppress votes, particularly among minority communities, and the broader implications for American democracy.
Georgia is a model case for new voter suppression laws that began in 2021. As a resident of this state, I have made sure that my opinions are known to Republicans and have urged Democrats fight these autocrats. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) blasted the Georgia legislature for passing the massive voting bill that would restrict voter access. Warnock said, “I think it’s unfortunate that some politicians have looked at the results and, rather than changing their message, they’re busy trying to change the rules.”

Georgia Republican legislators are perpetuating Trump’s Big Lie and using it as the rationale to claim there was widespread voter fraud. There was no fraud in the 2020 election. Rather than competing to earn votes, Georgia Republicans favor changing the rules to make it harder for the people who voted against them to get to the voting booth. Georgia legislators audaciously established a Special Committee on Election Integrity underscoring their action against a fair and just election system in the state. The integrity of voting in Georgia has been questioned and investigated for decades. The 1965 Voting Rights Act changed the rules of voting not only in Georgia, but throughout the South. Instead of making voting more accessible to citizens, this committee made it more difficult for Georgians to vote. Read more