Readers Write: Presidential race, Tuesday's debate

President Donald Trump is no longer running against Joe Biden. He is running against the election. He is attacking the sanctity of our elections by promoting false mistrust without evidence to thwart the will of the people in our most sacred duty to select our own leaders. It's a desperate, purposeful attempt to hold power in a contest he is losing, and if he cannot win by these means, he appears willing to take down our civil society with him.

Election fraud is a ruse, created and sustained by one political party. That party has now lost control of the monster they created, and the future of our republic is threatened.

The people's confidence in the thousands of individuals and entities who do their civic duty to conduct a free and fair process must be firmly assured. It's time for Congress to take an unequivocal stand in support of election integrity — to confirm what every study has established — that the past record and future potential for voter fraud is infinitesimally small. A joint resolution, passed by the Senate and the House, may be our last hope to restore confidence and save our republic from descending into an unthinkable abyss.

Trump makes "law and order" a central campaign issue, but he has promoted unlawfulness and disorder throughout his career and presidency. He violates and undermines fair law enforcement when it suits his interests. He allegedly violated the law by discriminating against minorities in renting apartments, scamming students who enrolled in Trump University and using funds of the Trump Foundation for his own benefit. He attacks judges who rule against his interests, targets political opponents for prosecution, intervenes in prosecutions of his allies, fires FBI directors and attorneys general who won't defend him or investigate his opponents, and he and his family members repeatedly violate the Hatch Act and misuse their offices to promote their personal business interests.

Far from defending public order, he has repeatedly attempted to divide the country on racial lines. He has heightened violence and disorder by sending unwanted federal forces to attack demonstrators. He encourages disruptive demonstrations against actions taken to limit the coronavirus. He attacks peaceful demonstrators while defending armed white nationalists who seek to promote conflict and have killed demonstrators, even charging them to "stand by" to attack.

Trump is not for law and order; he is the candidate of lawlessness, chaos and disorder. He uses the slogan to divide.

If you want to promote law and order, support Joe Biden, who will bring Americans together and enforce laws fairly, while supporting prosecution of those who cause violence and rioting.

Let's look at the facts! Before the coronavirus attack on the U.S., our economic policies were tremendously successful. The rank-and-file employee wages in the U.S. in 2019 were rising. Over a 6.8% gain since Trump took office. This disproves the rumor that only the rich were benefiting from this boom, along with many other segments of our government that were showing great improvements.

Early after the China virus attacked the U.S., our president closed the entrance into our country, saving millions of lives. He brought together public and private sectors, along with working with state governors to kill this enemy virus. He used intuition in managing the supply chain, secured the necessary equipment to distribute to the states most in need. He encouraged governors to make their own decisions based on local conditions.

China lied to the entire world about the China virus.

All this started while the left was trying to impeach Trump. Even while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was accusing Trump of failing to respond to the virus, she was herself in San Francisco's Chinatown, announcing, "We think it's very safe to be in Chinatown" and encouraging people to visit. Yet now the left wants to keep the country closed.

The handling of the pandemic has been one of Trump's finest moments. He now is bringing the economy back to near where it was before the virus. We must work hard to re-elect this president who does not back away.

God bless America.

I have voted on both sides of the aisle and consider myself a fiscal conservative and social liberal. I give great consideration to a candidate's character and intellect. The candidate for whom I cast my vote is one I trust will use rational thought and reason when governing. No elected official will agree with my position on every issue. If our positions differ, I assume their position is the result of rational and wise consideration.

We are in a critical period in our history. The Republican Party has embraced the leadership of a man who uses bullying, lying and potentially illegal activity to maintain power. Honesty, character and respect no longer have value. Is this truly who the Republican Party wants to be? Is control of the presidency so important that the party is willing to relinquish the reputation they earned over years of hard work and dedication to the American people? Silence in this matter is consent. Voters are left to assume that the Republican Party now openly supports:

• Developing questionable and unrecommended relationships with foreign leaders.

• Lying to the populace about significant issues.

• Vilifying and taking revenge on anyone with whom you disagree.

• Spinning facts into "fake news" to the point that conspiracy theories now run rampant.

• Hatred and white supremacy.

Please, Republican leadership, consider the consequences of your silence. Does this president represent your party? Does party loyalty really "trump" what's best for the nation?

Trump's latest debacle with his failure to denounce the Proud Boys ("Far-right extremists emboldened by Trump's remarks," front page, Oct. 1) was typical and telling of his views and base. He even gave them a slogan to rally behind. This from the president of the United States! This dividing president has shown his true colors, and his hesitancy to denounce all forms of racism is unforgivable. The United States is composed of so many immigrants from all over the world, and for us to tolerate this from the presidency is shameful! The days of priding ourselves as a melting pot were over in 2016.

Trump's idea of speaking up against the Ku Klux Klan is telling them that their sheets have a low thread count. C'mon!

Trump tells the democratic process to stand back. And more unfounded chaos to stand by.

Trump after the Tuesday debate claimed he knew nothing of the Proud Boys as a white supremacist group, and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has previously disavowed knowing anything of QAnon, a movement of conspiracy theorists who support the president. It makes me wonder what is talked about in the Oval Office. To suggest they know nothing of these groups and their motives is absurd, but apparently, it is the only way they can keep the support of both groups without publicly accepting they are part of their political base.

So Trump says he'll stay away from Minnesota if he doesn't win the state in November? ("Trump returns to pet topics in Minn. visit," front page, Oct. 1.)

We won't miss him.

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