On March 16, four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the most decorated of our four-star generals, tweeted: “Reluctantly, I have concluded that President Trump is a serious threat to U.S. national security. He is refusing to protect vital U.S. interests from active Russian attacks. It is apparent that he is for some unknown reason under the sway of Mr. Putin.”

Today, after the firing of FBI agent Andrew McCabe 36 hours before his retirement became fully vested (G.W. Bush spoke of Trump’s “casual cruelty,”) John O. Brennan, CIA director from 2013 to 2017, tweeted to Donald Trump: “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America … America will triumph over you.”

Trump finally acknowledged Russia was behind the gas attack, murders and attempted murders in the U.K., but did not accuse Putin personally. Nor did he say anything when Russian mercenaries attacked American soldiers in Syria. We have now learned Russia has infiltrated our energy plants, including nuclear power plants. Trump has said nothing.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson strongly condemned Russia and Putin shortly before he was unceremoniously fired, a firing he learned about through a tweet — Trump is too cowardly to fire people in person as mature leaders do. National Security Advisor Gen. McMaster similarly spoke out strongly against Russia and Putin. According to reports, Trump has wanted to fire McMaster for months. Tillerson has called Trump a “moron,” McMaster has called him an “idiot” with the intelligence of a “kindergartner.” Kelly has only said he was “uninformed.” Forty-three percent of the White House staff is gone — more than double the attrition rate of any other administration in its first year.

An earlier letter writer said Trump had won the right to govern. He is not governing! Everything he does is about him. Every act is for his short-term gain, no matter the long-term effect on the country or the world. Even if the act is only to take attention away from a story he does not want the public to focus on (suing a porn star for $20 million?) The disastrous tax bill he signed ($215 billion deficit for February alone) benefited him and his family enormously. We know he brags about womanizing. Yesterday he bragged about lying to the Canadian prime minister. Every day he degrades the office of the presidency. Retired four-star Adm. William McRaven said that President Trump denouncing the media as “the enemy of the American people” is the greatest threat to the democracy I have seen in my lifetime.”

Months ago, Robert Gates, secretary of defense under presidents Bush and Obama, said, “I believe Mr. Trump is beyond repair. He is stubbornly uninformed … temperamentally unsuited to lead our men and women in uniform … He is unqualified and unfit to be commander-in-chief.” Our gutless, corrupt GOP Congress does nothing!

Lonna Gooden Van Horn

Northwood