Sinister Spiral

The U.S. should not elect its president in a climate of political violence, which is what Trump seems to prefer.

The U.S. presidential campaign is being affected by a sinister spiral of violence which has irresponsibly been caused by the head of state himself; a totally undesirable circumstance in any electoral process, and one which threatens to influence the most important election in the most influential democracy on the planet.

Showing once again his disrespect for the office to which he was elected, Donald Trump, rather than trying to calm things down and act as the president of all his fellow citizens, is doing everything possible to take advantage of any situation which feeds his strategy of presenting American society as being fractured and degraded as a consequence of his Democratic rivals; while, of course, presenting himself as the only solution.

The latest spark in the fire started by the president is the death of Michael Reinoehl, an anti-fascist militant suspected of killing a Trump supporter in Oregon, as police moved in to arrest him. Although police action may have been justified (an issue under investigation), instead of trying to contain the events by keeping them in context or by lamenting the death of another American, the president has taken advantage of the situation to target street protests against his government in an unacceptable and unjust way. He is placing the responsibility for what is happening on those governors and mayors who are his political rivals, and who do not support him in his bid for reelection.

After 100 days of protests throughout the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, arrested and killed by a police officer, the country is witnessing a trickle of deaths and confrontations that should stop immediately; and the role of those who have the maximum responsibility of government in this is inexcusable. The United States should not elect its president in a climate of political violence, which is what Trump seems to prefer.