Opinion: You know things are bad when two conservative columnists condemn Trump

To the editor: We live in interesting times. In Tuesday’s paper we had two writers, Jonah Goldberg (“The problem with the Trump presidency is Trump”) and Max Boot (“Let’s count the ways Donald Trump has gone where no president has gone before”), both continuing their elucidation of how wrongheaded the current administration is.

Neither of these gentlemen would be considered a liberal or progressive; in fact, quite the opposite. Yet this proudly liberal reader was in full agreement with both of them.

What does that tell us? President Trump is a disaster of epic proportions. I find myself wondering if our country will survive his administration.

Scott W. Hughes, Westlake Village

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To the editor: Goldberg is to be commended for his astute assessment of Trump.

When viewed through the lens of clinical psychology, identifying the vast array of character flaws and diagnostic labels applicable to Trump is like picking low-hanging fruit. Although undeniably effortless, it is a pragmatically useless endeavor.

With that said, focusing on the potential power of society to effect formidable change can yield valuable antidotes to thwart Trump. What tools are in our nation’s arsenal? The judiciary. The press. Relentless public pressure. Democrats with a backbone. And especially some Republican leaders of conscience.

Character may, in fact, be destiny. If so, it is my hope that our character as a nation will help us prevail through this dark chapter.

David Levy, Santa Monica

The writer is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University.

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To the editor: After reading Boot’s piece, I am astounded that the Office of Government Ethics has not been more aggressive in investigating Trump’s egregious misdeeds.

That the membership fee at Trump’s privately owned “Winter White House” has doubled is an obvious and blatantly callous move to gain financially from the presidency.

The only rational — and I’m not sure that term has any meaning anymore — explanation I can think of is that the Office of Government Ethics must think that Trump will burn out soon. But in the meantime, it should take immediate steps to uphold its mission, which is “preventing conflicts of interest in the executive branch.”

Not doing that is a dereliction of duty.

Cece Wilkens, Bonita, Calif.

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