See Trump for who he was

These days, too many people look at both life and politics as either black or white, with few shades of grey. Conrad Black — the well-read conservative Canadian author and former media baron who founded this publication — has repeatedly written that Donald Trump has been one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. He lauds Trump's supposed accomplishments, of which there are some, but glosses over, or ignores, his failings, of which there are many.

In the recent U.S. election, about 74 million people voted for Donald Trump, the largest number ever to vote for a sitting president seeking a second term. While in office, Trump became the face of the Republican party, with dire consequences if anyone crossed him, publicly disagreed with his actions or criticized his terrible behaviour. He was the bully who few could fight back against.

It is wrong to think that Trump supporters are all right-wing extremists, racists, misogynistic and delusional. Black and many others I know continue to defend Trump's actions and share what most think is the misguided belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. While they decry the storming of the U.S. Capitol, they refuse to accept Trump's role in enabling it.

My friends and colleagues who hold these beliefs are not right-wing extremists, but rather, like Black, intelligent, articulate, well-educated and often well-respected people. At fault is the polarization in America, which is exacerbated by alternate news sources, fears over the hard left and of cancel culture cancelling their freedom of speech and the American way of life that they cherish and want to preserve. They often see Trump as an American patriot who defends these values and can ignore or forgive his outlandish and incendiary behaviour.

Theodore White was a respected journalist and author who gained fame by his reporting of China's ascendancy and his books on the making of presidents, starting with John Kennedy.

He chronicled their paths to victory and the compromises they often needed to make.

He said, “I don't think of myself as a conservative. I believe that dogma — and that includes liberal and conservative dogma — must not take precedence over reality. A liberal is a person who believes that water can be made to run uphill. A conservative is someone who believes everyone should pay for his water. I'm somewhere in between: I believe water should be free, but that water flows downhill.”

He also published “Breach of Faith: The rise and fall of Richard Nixon,” as an example of how lies, manipulation and unrestrained abuses of power led to Nixon to be abandoned by his confidantes and supporters. What would he have written about the rise and fall of Donald Trump? Unfortunately, Trump's legacy will be left to others to chronicle.

Now more than ever, we need to choose reality over fiction and truth over deception. It remains disturbing that 50 per cent of Republicans still believe that the recent presidential election was stolen by Joe Biden. Many believe that he is a communist puppet who's out to destroy American values.

Let's hope that more respected Republicans accept the truth about Trump and the election that they ignored for so long, and that reasonable Democrats understand the fear and loathing that many Republicans have for the radical left, due to the very real threat they pose to free speech and democracy. With a bit of luck, thoughtful Republicans will be able to take back the GOP and return it to its roots as an electorally viable conservative party.

The world isn't painted in black and white, but in shades of grey. A new president has taken office and promises to be a president for all Americans. Let us hope that the new leader of the free world has the wisdom to understand and accept the concerns of those who opposed him and the courage and integrity to restore the world's faith in America.

WE NEED TO CHOOSE REALITY OVER FICTION AND TRUTH OVER DECEPTION.