Dear Editor,

As former President Donald J Trump continues his all-out verbal assault on the rule of law as well as our cherished legal system while continuing to promote false claims which have been thoroughly debunked all in a troubling attempt to placate his ultra self-inflated ego. As he continues to unabashedly exercise the demagogic persona are the world’s most heinous authoritarians, both past and present, on whom he has consistently lavished praise.

Mr. Trump who recently posted a $200,000 bail bond in Georgia for his being charged for his efforts to conduct an illegal attempt to overturn his 2020 U.S. presidential defeat in the state of Georgia. Which of his now four current indictments quite possibly appear to be the most serious of all? And it appears that Mr. Trump with his obviously little if any respect for our judicial system continues to attempt to intimidate judges’ jurors’ witnesses, as well as co-defendants who may testify against him with his well-documented “Mob Boss” shenanigans.

The indictment which includes 41 counts comes under Georgia’s Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is typically enacted to prosecute mobsters which is how Mr. Trump continues to promote himself and these injurious actions are combined with three prior indictments which carry 178 counts.

Although Mr. Trump inexplicably continues to claim that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was somehow rigged against him despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary including by the US Department of Justice and FBI under his administration.

However, Mr. Trump’s massive ego obviously refuses to allow him to acknowledge the indisputable fact that the election was fair and honest and that he did indeed lose the election to current and legitimate President Joe Biden even for the good of our great country.

In addition Mr. Trump has already proclaimed that if he is re-elected as our nations president in 2024 that he fully intends to seize control of the US Department of Justice as well as the FBI, fire everyone involved in prosecuting him and to reclassify and /or fire approximately 50,000 career civil servants and replace them with MAGA loyalist.

Authoritarians such as Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy as well dictators past and present who have been praised by Mr. Trump would undoubtedly be quite pleased.

However, such comparisons with them can only be made regarding administrative actions while in command as both Hitler and Mussolini served their respective countries (Hitler admirably) in their nation’s military. Whereas Mr. Trump refused to serve in that capacity citing bone spurs preventing him from serving.

It is now time for Democrats to respond to Mr. Trump in kind by referring to him appropriately as “Crooked Donald” chant “lock him up” when his name is mentioned and referred to his family as “The Trump Crime Family.”

Wonder how he and his supporters would respond if such were the case?

Richard Hord

Martins Ferry