American View
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Why I’m Voting for Donald Trump
The United Kingdom’s recent decision to leave the European Union was predicated on its citizens’ choice between self-government and the continuation of anonymous rule by bureaucrats in Brussels. The British polls, pundits and politicos didn’t accurately predict the outcome of the vote. Donald Trump did, and he did because sovereignty—the authority of a person, group or state to govern itself—has always been the consistent subtext of his messaging.
We Americans are blessed with a Constitution and jurisprudence (based in large measure on laws set forth in the Torah) that honor individual life, dignity and self-determination. In this system, government’s main purpose is to protect us from internal and external harm. In exchange, we abdicate vigilantism and agree to abide by the government’s laws. Power flows to and from the citizens and the state.
Similar to citizens in the United Kingdom, many Americans feel their power incrementally shifting away from them toward the state. Vast, anonymous, unaccountable and increasingly imperial bureaucratic agencies spit out rules and regulations, wrapping a net around the individual’s autonomy.
Americans are dying in faraway places for a war that has not been ratified against an enemy that shall not be named. At home, veterans are dying due to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ inexcusable lag time in tending to their needs. The list goes on. Political correctness, university safe spaces and “victim categories” have made free speech a four-letter word. The illegal flouting of our immigration laws, illustrated by the existence of multiple “sanctuary” cities, is evidence that the rule of law, on which our compact with our government is maintained, is crumbling.
Our foreign policy in the Middle East lies in shambles. ISIS, the brutal self-declared caliphate once deemed a JV team, now controls swaths of at least two countries. The FBI is investigating over 1,000 jihadist cells in the United States, and terror attacks here are escalating. The Arab Spring has morphed into the Arab killing grounds, and the incomprehensible Iran nuclear deal has added to the danger, as Iran now has additional monies to fund terror.
Trump gives the country an alternative to bureaucratic failures and to those who refuse to name the true misogynists, racists and enemy: the radical Islamic terrorists who enslave women and murder gays, Jews and Christians.
I am inspired by his formula to “Make America Great Again,” including his vows to:
• Streamline the bureaucracies and overturn needless regulations that hamper growth;
• Institute programs like the Keystone pipeline, renegotiate trade deals and rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, all of which will provide more job opportunities;
• Overturn and replace Obamacare, which has increased costs, limited doctor access and converted good-paying, full-time jobs into low-paying, part-time ones;
• Reduce corporate and personal taxes and offer a sensible, one-time deal to repatriate billions of dollars currently held off-shore;
• Streamline the Department of Veterans Affairs and offer access to private providers;
• Rebuild our military in order to negotiate foreign policy from a position of strength; and
• Build a wall on our southern border and monitor visa stays to stop illegal immigrants, including the terrorists among them.
Trump deems terror in Israel equivalent to terror in the United States and elsewhere, and he has Israel’s back. The safety of United States’ citizens is paramount and he will fight to ensure our security. Trump has seen the dramatic need for change and is the leader with the bold and comprehensive plans to move us forward.
Lynne Kessler Lechter is a founding partner of a Philadelphia-area law firm and serves on the President’s Council of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors alone and not of Hadassah, which is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse candidates or engage in partisan activities. Recognizing the importance of the upcoming election, Hadassah Magazine is presenting this pieces because we believe our readers deserve to hear views about the candidates from Jewish women leaders.
To read a pro-Clinton opinion piece, click here.
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Sheldon says
Glad to see a legitimate Jewish voice supporting Trump and the actions he will take against terrorism, unfair trade, illegal immigration, job loss, and our broken political system. The GOP’s support and his support for the Jewish State of Israel is unequaled by his political opponents in the Democratic party.
Alan says
The Trump message? What are you, stupid? The Trump message is “Make Trump Great Again”. It has nothing to do with me, you, Israel or this country. To think otherwise is naive.
TGBeldin says
Looking back five+ years you were so spot on.
Everything about Trump has only one rule: how can he put more money in his pocket.
Sold out American secrets to Putin.
Sold out Israel for Saudi money.
Sold out his own VP for a fictional lie that he one in 2020.
Hope the OP’s eyes have been opened about the pig that is Trump.
A Black says
So happy to see a conservative common sense point of view here at Hadassah. Right on, I concur.
Ilene Schur says
Trump says, Trump says, Trump says. How is he going to do all these things. Trump does not say. Why doesn’t he tell us how he is going to do all these things. Does he even know that he cannot proclaim these things and they will happen automatically, as if it were a business and he gets to make all the decisions. I am amazed that an intelligent Hadassah women would let the wool be pulled over her eyes so easily. And never forget the Supreme Court. That decision will impact our lives for the next fifty years! I say No, No, No.
Barbara says
No doubt this article and it’s replies have been written prior to the vulgar video tape of Donald Trump was exposed. Many Republicans who endorsed Mr. Trump previously have unendorsed him after the publication of this tape exposing Mr. Trump as a misogynistic man and a sexual predator. How can any woman in good conscience cast a vote for Mr. Trump when he, as a Presidential candidate and possible President, is and would be setting the standard of behavior for women and our children. As a life long Zionist and a life member of Hadassah since my youth, I am well aware that we have to always think about a US President’s relationship with Israel. However, this crude behavior by Mr. Trump trumps any possible positive benefits to Israel Mr. Trump may (which I doubt) have over Mrs. Clinton.
Ellen C. Lee says
I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said here. Regardless of his “stated” stance on Israel and his supposed support for that country, Trump is one of the most misogynist and prejudiced individuals to come to the political forefront in my entire life; I’m 66 and have seen presidential candidates come and go, always making promises that later turn out to be completely impossible to accomplish. Trump has managed to present himself as a business genius while at the same time bankrupting his own campaign, watching some of his own companies go under, and the like. He’s a liar, and a cheat – failing to file honest income reports with the IRS, and somehow convincing himself that this is honorable behavior. To our allies around the world, his candidacy has made the U.S. appear ridiculous; Trump is no more qualified to manage the country than Bozo the Clown would be (showing my age here… ). And any woman who would consider, even for 15 seconds, voting for him would be voting against her own best interests.
Please, people, with the fact that nearly all prominent Republican party leaders asking Trump to step down from his candidacy, don’t you think that’s an indication of how he’s viewed by educated and experienced people of both sexes in the world? And at times Mr. Trump does resemble Hitler in that dictator’s early years, when Hitler was in the process of gaining power. Many people with whom I’ve spoken about the similarities between the two tell me that Trump would be unable to achieve a dictatorship here, disband Congress, suspend the Supreme Court and the like. I disagree: Very few people in Germany in the early 1930s thought Hitler could accomplish these same things in such a short time, but he certainly did. Watch out, everyone. Trump MUST be defeated, and I hope he is and that Mrs. Clinton’s majority of votes is completely undisputable. I would like to see a landslide, one of such magnitude as has not been seen in our history.
Susanna Levin says
How can anyone who is a member of a women’s organization support a man who brags about sexual assault?
Janet Katz says
Even before that, how could an educated woman support him?
Mark Alesse says
Great reasoning.
Esther says
With all his faults, Trump at least loves the USA and had the courage to stand up to all this scrutiny by running to make America Great Again. When you look at only a fraction of Haughty Hillary’s faults, we find dishonesty, deviousness, no accomplishments to write home about, no creativity, murder, and other crimes. She has also been compromised due to all the monies she has received from foreign governments, who are not necessarily friendly to the USA. Haughty Hillary is morally and ethically BANKRUPT. I doubt she can be rehabilitated at this point in time. Same goes for her red-nosed perverted husband Bill. Give me Trump any day, with all his faults. At least he loves the USA. Hillary loves ONLY Hillary, Money & Power.
Ellen C. Lee says
Oh, dear me! You’re quite the Clinton hater, aren’t you? And so mistaken regarding her experience, contributions, unfailing support of our country, her having been Secretary of State, for example, which means developing and maintaining alliances with our friends, attempting to negotiate and mediate between our friends and our enemies on the international scene, and so much more. And look at your own unacknowledged misogyny: It’s “Mr. Trump” or “Trump” when you mention him, but “Hillary” when you talk about her. Why not “Mrs. Clinton” or “Clinton”? Using the first name show a degree of disrespect; you never called him “Donald”, notice? Please, Mrs. Clinton has of course made mistakes in her career as everyone does, but she’s not done or said anything like what Trump has done. He’s fascistic in his statements about people of races other than white,is anti-Semitic and is hateful to women – he’s displayed his misogyny and disrespect of women throughout his career; his lack of respect during the debates was appalling! He wouldn’t allow his opponent to complete a sentence. Goodness! How can you support him while knowing his character and his beliefs? And as far as Mrs. Clinton’s honesty or its opposite is concerned, my friend, the term, “honest politician” is an oxymoron. A person may begin his or her career as honest as they come, but after learning that honesty gets nothing they believe in accomplished they, too, begin to play the system to promote their objectives and those of their constuents. A horrible system indeed, but seemingly no individual is able to change it.
Esther says
Haughty Hillary is dishonest and compromised, among other things. Same goes for her perverted red-nosed husband Bill. Give me Trump any day, with all his faults. At least he loves the USA. Haughty Hillary loves ONLY Hillary, Money & Power.
Edna Shochat says
Lynn Kessler Lechter: Shame on you for supporting the most disgusting, dangerous candidate ever. Shame on you!
Michelle says
It was interesting to read Ms. Kessler Lechter’s essay on why she supports Trump. The essay was a well-articulated coherent argument that wasn’t simply spouting hatred against the other side – or anyone for that matter. I am not responding to this article to refute with the list of Trump’s “vows”, but express my disbelief that a well-educated woman can support such a hateful, mean spirited candidate who has done nothing to further advance our society or our country. Whether or not you agree with who and what Hillary Clinton has done, for the most part I believe her motivation was truly Tikkun Olam “repairing the world”. Regardless of that, the thing that worries me now even if Trump loses is that now, as the NYTimes put it in an op-ed on Oct 14th, “Civility, always a tenuous thing, cannot be quickly restored in a society that has learned to hate in public, at full throttle.” Since Ms. Kessler Lechter is an active member of the GOP she must be worried about how this candidate has ripped her party apart. Too bad her candidate isn’t as civil or as articulate as she is. It would have been a less hateful campaign.
Ellen C. Lee says
Thank you, Michelle. My response precisely. Please read my comment and you’ll know why I so agree with yours.
Gayle Wise says
Knowing publication dates ensure that news isn’t always current, I question if Ms Lynn Kessler Lechter, in her role as leader of the Republican Jewish Coalition has remained as steadfast in her support of Donald Trump.
I find in my Southern California community, my Hadassah community and my synogogue community….the vast majority find him abhorrent and totally lacking in what we would want in a candidate.
Having a Jewish son in law and a converted daughter does not make him a friend to the Jews of America as proven by his recent speeches.
I do not assume to change anyone’s mind….I just cannot imagine any Jew voting for him.
Darcy Grabenstein says
Trump goes against everything we stand for as members of Hadassah, as women and as Jews.
Louise Orkin says
I guess it’s OK to support a serial abuser of women, a liar, a cheat, a narcissist, an ignorant, uninformed man of no empathy, sympathy or understanding of the Constitution. How can you believe what he says he will do for the country when he has never been able to explain how he will do what he promises? A man so undisciplined would be a danger to this country and to the world.
Ellen says
An article about Ms. Lechter’s law practice says she “represents those accused of crimes such as assault, driving while intoxicated and sexual molestation”. I am proud that America legal system is founded on principle of justice for all, even persons who commit assault, DUI, and sexual molestation, but perhaps in this instance, Ms.Lechter’s proximity to so much deviant behavior has numbed her to its horror.
Maxine Comisky says
Ellen, if you are going to personally attack someone, at least get the facts straight. The article you are referring to is from 1995. I, Lynne’s daughter, was fresh out of the public defender’s office and continued practicing criminal defense, though I have no recollection of handling a sexual molestation case in private practice. I left the practice of law in 1997. Ms Kessler Lechter has never practiced criminal law, nor has she been within the “proximity” of it since 1997. She served as an Adjunct Professor at Villanova Law School’s Domestic Abuse Clinic in the early 90’s and as an active board member on too many religious, civic, cultural and charitable organizations to list. Ms Kessler Lechter’s altruistic inclination and volunteer history reflect a woman who is anything but numb to the plights of others.
When you searched her name, you should have focused your attention on her current law firm’s website LechterSasso.com. There you would have seen her incredible resume and learned that her legal practice is focused on International Law and Business & Commercial Law litigation, as was mentioned in that 1995 article.
It is an ugly tactic to personally attack an author rather than articulate a direct response to the article with which you do not agree, especially when signing just your first name.
Proud daughter,
Maxine Lechter Comisky
E l says
Trump has veen an awful businessman.
His ideas, overall, have been insipid.
I cannot understand how an intelligent person
can vote for him.
Steve C says
Ms. Lechter,
I’ll start out with a question: If David Duke (former Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan) made the same “vows”, would you vote for him too? Where do you draw the line when you agree on politics, but find the personal character to be repulsive?
I’d also like to address some errors in your piece.
-The UK decision to leave the EU was not because of “anonymous rule by bureaucrats in Brussels”. That sounds very ominous, but the names of those bureaucrats are public record, and were appointed by elected officials whose identities are well known.
-While Trump did predict Brexit, he did not endorse it one way or another, so his prediction has nothing to do with the “subtext of his messaging”
-“Vast, anonymous, unaccountable and increasingly imperial bureaucratic agencies spit out rules and regulations, wrapping a net around the individual’s autonomy”. Very threatening, but completely nonspecific. Are food safety regulations wrapping a net around the individual’s autonomy? How about banking regulations?
-The enemy has been named. It is ISIL, or ISIS, or Da’esh. The enemy is not “Radical Islam”. That is an idea. You can’t shoot bullets at an idea. And calling it “radical Islam” is like calling Rabin’s assassin a follower of “radical Judaism”. He was following directions from a rabbi, but to call his actions Jewish in any way is an insult to Jews.
-Free speech is not a four letter word in our country. Some people overdo restricting hurtful speech, but the examples you give have nothing to do with the government, so electing Trump would have no effect over that. On the other hand, free speech such as calling people “Miss Piggy”, ugly, stupid, losers, (I could go on literally for pages) is not something a President should be engaging in.
-Sanctuary cities do nothing illegal. They simply choose not to use municipally funded law enforcement to investigate whether an individual has broken federal law.
You do have a point that the Middle East is in shambles, although we have taken back about 50% of the territory that ISIS once held. But you make no mention at all about what Trump would do to fix it. In fact, he has said he has a secret plan to defeat ISIS, but will not release it. If it is so amazing, why has he not shared it with generals already? Why wait until January, when thousands could be saved by his plan? I think you know the answer. Finally, he derided the fact that we announced our attack on Mosul. Spend a little time investigating that, and you will see that an operation of that size is pretty self-evident, and no secrets were revealed. Rather, allies were encouraged by demonstrating that something was being done.
As far as Iran, Trump derides it as the worst deal ever. But he does not give a clue about how he would have negotiated differently, especially given that Russia and China were very anxious to eliminate the sanctions, and could have dropped them without our approval, with less to show for it. Simply saying that he would have negotiated a better plan is meaningless from a man who went bankrupt 6 times, lost a billion dollars in a year, and has been involved in 4000 lawsuits.
You are inspired by his vows.
-He will streamline the bureaucracies. Which ones? He hasn’t said. Bill Clinton did that too. Hillary may as well.
-Renegotiate trade deals. How? What will he do differently? He hasn’t said.
-Rebuild infrastructure. With what money? His tax plan will cost $5 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. He certainly won’t contribute, since his tax plan saves him millions, and “smart people” don’t even pay taxes, according to him.
-Overturn and replace Obamacare. With what? He hasn’t said.
-Reduce corporate and personal taxes. At the cost of $5 trillion to the federal budget over the next 10 years, and with the majority of the benefit going to the wealthiest 1%.
-Streamline Department of Veterans Affairs. Fair enough. Clinton said she will “revitalize” it, and offer access to private providers in some situations.
-Rebuild our military. We spend more on our military than the next 7 countries combined. What exactly is it that we should be doing, if you are against “Americans …dying in faraway places”.
-Build a wall on our southern border. The number of illegal immigrants from Mexico has been declining since 2009. The wall would cost about $25B, plus $1B a year to maintain it. Not to mention, a $25 billion wall 30 feet high is defeated by a $25 ladder 31 feet high. Please don’t try to claim that Mexico will pay for it. Trump said that he did not discuss who would pay for it when he went to Mexico. The Mexican President said otherwise, and insisted Mexico would not pay.
And of course, you do not mention the following things about Trump, any single one of which would normally disqualify a candidate, and all of which are thoroughly documented:
-He promised to order US soldiers to kill the families of terrorists , including women and children. This is a war crime.
-He threatened to put his political opponent in jail. Not wait for a trial, but put her in jail.
-He recommended defaulting on our debt.
-He recommended letting Japan and South Korea get nuclear weapons.
-He said he might not support NATO allies unless they pay more, even though their soldiers fought in the war in Afghanistan, at our request. How soon before he starts asking Israel to pay for our help?
-He consistently retweets from known white supremacist and anti-Semitic sites.
-He misused contributions to his charity
-As far as we know, he has not paid taxes in years
-As far as we know, he has given less than $5 million to charity (including his own) since 2008
-He won’t release his tax forms, even though he himself admits he could, despite being under audit.
-He encouraged Russia to hack his opponents email, and refused to acknowledge that Russia was behind recent attacks.
-He has 11 women accusing him of sexual assault
-He is on tape bragging about sexual assault
-He looked forward to the housing crash so he could make money
-He has hundreds (thousands?) of people who say he did not pay them for work done and approved.
-He advocated denying entry to the US to a group based solely on religious grounds
-He advocated torture, even if it does not get information, because “they deserve it anyway”
-He disparaged a POW because he was captured
-He blatantly lied about seeing Muslims in NJ celebrate on 9/11. Even after dozens of sources proved him wrong, he did not retract the statement.
-He continued to question President Obama’s birth certificate years after it was provided and accepted
-He would not promise to accept the final results of the election unless he won.
I could go on with more documented problems with the man and his policies, but if that has not changed people’s minds, nothing will.
He has backed off on a few of these, but as often as not has reversed his reversal.
I understand your political viewpoint, and your goals. While I personally disagree, I understand some people prefer lower taxes, smaller government, and a strong military. What I don’t understand is why people are willing to elect an unstable, untrustworthy narcissist for the possibility that he might marginally move towards those goals, if he doesn’t change his mind again, while completely ignoring the obvious danger he presents to our country, and the extent to which he has has already degraded the level of civility in our country.
Ellen C. Lee says
Beautifully said, Steve. You’ve presented facts that are indisputable even by the most rabid Trumpster. I am astounded that Mrs. Lechter can think even for a moment of voting for this man, and your arguments successfully support my thinking. I am astounded that his own party has asked him to step out of the race and he’s obstinately refused to do so. Can you imagine how he’d deal with leaders in Congress or with those of other nations? Yikes! What a terror he is!
Joan Borowsky says
Perfect. Indisputable. He is clearly the only choice.
Kinneret Kohn says
As a third generation and life-long member of Hadassah, I am horrified by the organization’s choice to serve as a platform for the normalization of such an egregious candidate for office. I look to the mission statement and I am beyond challenged to make connections between Trump’s commitment to decimation universal health coverage and limiting women’s access healthcare to your own commitment to “enhance the health of people worldwide.” How can someone so adverse to education and basic science possibly sync with your vision to “support of medical care and research.” How might this leader whose strategy is to silence all those against him help propel your desire to empower youth to engage in advocacy? I don’t even touch on the Anti-Semitic issues because we shouldn’t need to be personally under assault to recognize the pain and destruction of civics and civility he will bring. I feel deep shame on behalf of the Hadassah leadership who published this article and to all those who claim to never forget and voted for Trump.
Gayle M. Spelts says
Note to Hadassh- STAY OUT OF POLITICS! You are driving a wedge among members. Only comment if a candidate does NOT support Israel! Hope you did not attend the Chanukah party in D.C. at Trump’s hmonstrosity of a hotel!
Mirah Riben says
YOU should apply for a job on his staff. You have done a far more articulate job of describing and defining his message than he ever has!