To the editor:
An agreement usually ends with a handshake and a reliance on parties living up to what was agreed to. When one side arbitrarily changes the terms without justification, they prove their word cannot be trusted. That defines Donald Trump as president. There are three easy examples.
UKRAINE: Although there is strong support in this country for Ukraine in their war with Russia, President Trump has sided with Putin, then Zelensky, then Putin again, and so on, causing NATO and European Union members to roll their eyes. He has now come up with a 28-point plan that parrots Putin‘s demands. Among other draconian features, it includes ceding land to Russia that is currently occupied by Ukraine. TACO Trump has drawn a line in the sand demanding Zelensky agree to his plan by Thanksgiving, only to later say he is open to discussing modifications. Even if Zelensky agrees, neither Putin nor Trump can be trusted to keep their word.
TARIFFS: When dealing with international trade, those involved need to know costs from the manufacturer/supplier, all the way to the end user. Tariffs will affect what people will have to pay, so when Trump changes that number on a whim, that lack of surety disrupts the process, making us look like an unreliable trading partner. This has led to Trump negatively impacting international commerce, not just here.
EPSTEIN FILE: Trump originally downplayed his relationship with Epstein. But there were too many photographs and videos of the two of them partying, so that didn’t work. Since then, Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel have changed their story many times. The only thing that is certain is that Trump does not want names in the files exposed. After Congress unanimously (less one House vote) approved releasing the files, Bondi has been stalling, claiming she is investigating prominent Democrats in the files.
Republicans traffic in conspiracy theories, so here is one that may have traction. Assuming there is nothing in the Epstein files that will embarrass Trump personally, why would Trump be so opposed to having the files opened? There may be an obvious and easy answer.
Trump is known to let favors, elaborate gifts, and cash influence his thinking. Perhaps the reason Trump does not want those files opened is because it will expose some in high places who have supported him over the years. (Maybe Don Jr. and Eric Trump are mentioned in an unflattering way.) He may have made assurances that no matter what he has to do, those files will never see the light of day. This could explain why he is so vehemently opposed to their release. If you think that cannot be the case, think again.
Frank Gunsberg
Great Barrington
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