Dear Editor:

Politics is sport for some people and Trump has amplified that to a crude circus akin to professional wrestling. True believers won’t be swayed. But if you are willing to see the truth through the cracks, your sense of decency and belief in our democracy may prevail.

The cracks have always been there - six bankruptcies, birtherism, financial misuse of his own charity, hawking bibles to make a buck. Fact checking is a dealbreaker. He uses lies to divide us.

How cruel and damaged must a person be to physically mock a disabled reporter at one of his rallies?

The guy found liable for sexual abuse once said, “I just start kissing them. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. Grab 'em by the p****.”

He refused to denounce neo-Nazis who marched through Charlottesville shouting, "Jews will not replace us", insisting, "there were good people on both sides."

His lies endanger us all. Lies about Haitian migrants eating neighbors’ pets led to bomb threats at schools and hospitals. Lies about hurricane recovery are preventing those in need from receiving help. FEMA and National Guard troops engaged in recovery efforts have had to stand down in the face of threats by local militia groups. Who benefits from these lies?

While visiting Arlington National Cemetery, Trump asked retired General John Kelly, who lost his own son in Afghanistan, "I don’t get it, what was in it for them?" He disparages the fallen as “losers” and “suckers.”

He relishes the violence his lies have caused. He celebrates those found guilty of storming the Capitol on January 6 as “patriots” and promises to pardon them. He refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

He denigrates our allies while embracing murderous dictators.

Some of his most ardent critics served in his administration. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired General Mark Milley calls him “the most dangerous person to this country”.

It is no longer about policy, it is about decency, character and the preservation of our democracy.

Kim Dolce

Wiscasset