Opinion: Trump ran as a pragmatist; he will govern as a right-wing ideologue

To the editor: Jonah Goldberg wrote that “not since Nixon have we had a leader less beholden to a fixed ideology.” Yet, when we see who his choices for cabinet positions are, we see nothing but ideologues. (“Is Trump the kind of Republican Obama said he wanted?” Sept. 20)

Consider a few: Sen Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general, accused of making racist statements; Betsy DeVos for secretary of Education, who opposes public schools in favor of vouchers; Rick Perry for secretary of Energy, a department he wants to eliminate; and climate-change denier Scott Pruitt for Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Has Goldberg been sleeping?

Gary M. Barnbaum, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: Goldberg defends ideological purity. While it is laudable to have core principles that guide personal behavior such as honesty, industriousness, compassion and trustworthiness, sticking to core political beliefs in circumstances that require flexibility and an openness to new approaches is a recipe for failure.

I’m no Donald Trump fan, but on this point at least I think he is correct.

Michael Gitter, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: In 1961, a Muslim was born in Kenya, but his birthplace was faked so he could become president. Hillary Clinton exposed this nefarious plot but failed to stop him in 2008.

Then Trump rode the birther conspiracy to the White House.

Goldberg believes that President Obama got the “kind of Republican he always said he wanted.” This explains how our new president knew Obama’s birth certificate was a fake: As a teenager, Trump was the one who put the whole plan into place.

Thanks to Goldberg for unraveling one of history’s great mysteries.

Lon Shapiro, Chatsworth

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