Readers Write: Trump goes golfing, Social Security, coffee

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Sunday was President Donald Trump’s fourth day of golfing at his private resort while our retirement savings tanked and prices rose, as administration talking heads beseeched us to believe their words rather than what we saw with our own eyes. Now I read that Trump, Elon Musk and their Republican helpmeets in Congress are yanking federal funding that cities and towns across Minnesota had been counting on for critical infrastructure projects — in some cases, just as shovels were about to hit the ground (“Trump cuts force cities to scramble,” front page, April 7).

Our state is one of 13 that sends more tax money to the federal government than we receive. And what are we getting in return from the Trump/Musk regime? Decimated 401Ks, higher prices, longer wait times for help with Social Security or federal tax returns (if you can even get through), more dangerous air travel, less help for veterans, more measles, less cancer research, fewer people to maintain and staff our national parks and wildlife refuges … I have to say, becoming the newest Canadian province is looking like a better idea all the time.

Anne Hamre, St. Paul

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After the close of the stock market last Thursday, according to a reprinted Associated Press article, “Trump offered an upbeat reaction after he was asked about the market’s drop as he left the White House to fly to his Florida golf club on Thursday.

“ ‘I think it’s going very well,’ he said. ‘We have an operation, like when a patient gets operated on and it’s a big thing. I said this would exactly be the way it is’ ” (“Markets melt down,” April 4).

I suppose it is “going great” if every weekend you can fly, at taxpayer expense, to Florida. That’s not reality for the rest of us.

Barbara Claseman, St. Cloud

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Trump continues to show us his true colors and distorted priorities. Four of our soldiers recently died in Lithuania during a training exercise. Instead of attending the dignified transfer of the four fallen soldiers on April 4, he chose to attend a ritzy dinner with the Saudis, golf and host a $1 million-a-head fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.

Lithuania held a public ceremony and thousands of people lined the streets as the bodies of the fallen soldiers departed. Our own president could not even pretend to care. This shows the real character of Trump and his administration. They lack any sympathy or appreciation toward those who served and gave their lives for the freedoms we all enjoy.

I am a Purple Heart veteran and am so ashamed of this behavior; I hang my head in sorrow.

Donald Sonsalla, White Bear Lake

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While Trump was golfing and fundraising in Florida, the bodies of four fallen service members were returned from Europe to our soil. Being present to acknowledge the return of fallen soldiers is a sacred duty, and there should be no higher priority. I realize that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was present, but this duty calls out loudly for a president. I wish we had one.

Mark Brandt, Minneapolis

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If we were in the middle of the national emergency that Trump used to impose new tariffs last week, and if he had to invoke the wartime authority of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 because we are supposedly under attack by immigrants, I would expect Trump to remain in Washington, conferring with military leaders, not to go golfing in Florida and fire the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

Lydia Burke, Deephaven

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The president and Musk want to put an end to public TV and radio. Their reasoning: Why should a coal miner in West Virginia pay for NPR and PBS? My reply: Why should working-class Americans pay for the president to go golfing, or for the bloated U.S. military budget that is three times that of the next-biggest military spender (China), and more than those of the next six combined?

Duane Cady, Shoreview

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Rome is burning and Nero is in Florida playing golf ... again.

Richard Theisen, Minneapolis

As the Trump administration, with the blessing of the GOP majorities in Congress, prepares to make it more difficult to access Social Security offices by slashing staff (“Social Security Administration faces thousands more job cuts,” April 5), I wonder if the Minnesota Republican members of Congress know how many in their districts receive Social Security? Social Security is technically called Old-Age (retirement), Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI). Because, hey, what’s a government program without an acronym?

I can help: Using 2023 Census and Social Security Administration data, I divided the number of people receiving Social Security in Minnesota districts represented by House Republicans by the number of people who live in those districts. Anyway, I did the easy math and estimated the percentages of constituents who receive Social Security by district:

I assume that some recipients have deeper pockets (pensions, IRAs, investment accounts) and could survive without their Social Security checks, but many rely heavily or solely on Social Security to pay for rent, groceries and other essentials.

I suggest that U.S. Reps. Brad Finstad (First District), Tom Emmer (Sixth District), Michelle Fischbach (Seventh District) and Pete Stauber (Eighth District) investigate how these cuts will decrease the quality of life or impoverish their constituents. And I suggest their constituents make some phone calls to their representatives making these decisions to share their stories and demand their government follow through on its responsibilities.

Kristine Berggren, Minneapolis

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The draconian, mindless cuts being made at Social Security offices have the effect of hindering access to benefits for seniors and others who depend on these programs to make ends meet. And that clearly is the intent of the cuts.

These cuts are unconstitutional: The “power of the purse” is given solely to Congress. Yet GOP Congress members are allowing this usurpation of their authority without comment. I have called and written multiple times to Rep. Stauber and have received no response whatsoever. Any Congress member unwilling to uphold his oath to the Constitution by firmly rejecting the authoritarian takeover of our government must immediately resign.

Natalie Sentz, Crosslake, Minn.

I met you through Gevalia, who brought you into my life as part of a mail-order coffee promo — well before subscription services were cool (hot)?

You gave me the best of yourself, while I gulped the strength to slog ahead.

After seven moves, two kids, eight jobs, one marriage and more than a travel mug’s full of not-insignificant others (only one a coffee drinker), you always came through, perky as can be.

I know I’ve been erratic since I retired, and that you always waited for me.

Sure, there will always be Keurigs, pourovers and those shiny multi-drink cruise-ship-size coffeemakers. But how I wish I could just flip your switch again.

Ellen Share, Minneapolis