The Enemy Within

Donald J. Trump
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Mr. Trump,

During the recent campaign, you made a number of references to "the enemy within," but I have not heard that phrase recently.  It strikes me that, with the demands of the office you have now assumed weighing upon you, it might be difficult for you to determine who, exactly, is the enemy within.  I want to help you with that.

I am the enemy within.

I am the enemy within, because I understand the difference between the truth and lies.  You, plainly, do not, or you just do not care.  To you, the truth is what will benefit you at the moment.  A lie is anything--accurate or not--that you perceive to be harmful or critical.  That distinction simply wrong, and it leads to harm for a great many undeserving people.  Not that you would care about them.

I am the enemy within, because I believe in an honest government, one in which ordinary citizens have the same rights as you, your family and your wealthy "friends."  Do I really need to say that you disagree, and that you will happily suppress my rights and those of my fellow citizens if it will benefit you or your oligarchs in the slightest?  And do I need to point out that your utter disregard for truth makes any discussion of honesty in government fantastical so far as you are concerned?

I am the enemy within, because I believe in effective government that has the interests of all of its citizens, and the welfare of the world, in mind.  Government should, most emphatically, not be a vehicle for the enrichment of  you, your family, or your favorites, and it should not be in the business of impoverishing those you dislike.

I am the enemy within, because I oppose bigotry (personally and professionally), while you are an apostle for it, going the extra mile to express your racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic impulses at every turn.

I am also the enemy within, because having been a lawyer for well over half-a-century, I revere the law, wildly imperfect as it is.  The law is the rules of the game, and without the rules, there is no game.  Clearly, you believe that the only rule is that everything must work to your immediate benefit.  You refuse to accept any legal principle that does not meet that test.  Thus, you purport to ignore the plain requirements of the 14th Amendment relating to birthright citizenship, perhaps hopeful that your satraps on the Supreme Court will re-write that Amendment for you yet again, as they twice did in 2024.  They may do so, but if they do they will go down in infamy for it, if they are not already fated to do so.

While on the subject of infamy, your action in pardoning the criminals of January 6th insures your destiny in that regard.  It also confesses your participation in that attempt to overthrow the Constitution under which this nation exists, forcibly and with violence.  You purport to make heroes of those who responded to your own call for insurrection--one of the most loathsome offenses against our nation. You seem to believe that the United States, and its people, owe you a great deal, but you owe the country and its citizens nothing.  Once again, you are exactly wrong.

And finally--although I could go on and on--I am the enemy within, because I believe that the truths of the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address truly are self-evident and apply to all of us, rich and poor, white, Black, Brown or Asian, male, female, trans, straight, gay or whatever.  There are no classes of human beings; we are all truly equal.  That is so, much as I would like to believe that I am superior to you and your ilk.

One more thing.  I am the enemy within, but I am not alone.  There tens of millions of Americans who are the enemy, and more and more are signing up every hour, as the depths of your corruption, bigotry and depravity become clearer. 
We are dedicated.  We are implacable.  And we shall prevail. 

Very truly yours,

Jon Margolis