Trump overreaches his ‘mandate’

Our 47th president has taken office. He’s repeatedly claimed to have won by a landslide. He did receive 49.8% of the popular vote, more than the 48.3% that Harris received. In terms of all eligible U.S. voters, Trump earned only 31.6% of their votes, while 36.1% of the voters declined to exercise their right.

Yet, Trump is acting as if he has a “mandate,” signing 200 executive orders on his first day in office. He signed an order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. (I don’t know why he didn’t also rename New Mexico.) He signed an order overturning a provision of the 14th Amendment to our Constitution, which since 1868 has guaranteed citizenship to all those born in our country.

Most disturbing, he signed full pardons or commuted the sentences of 1,600 protesters who had been convicted or had pleaded guilty to crimes committed in their violent efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. On Jan. 6, 2021, they stormed the U.S. Capitol and assaulted police officers, injuring 140 of them. Now they’re all walking free. So much for “Back the Blue.”

David Duer

Iowa City