Editor,

Our national administration is still off-the-charts alarming. I write to protest the first steps of taking over local government responsibilities by the Trump administration.

We are seeing today a declaration by Trump that state and local governments are permitting run-away lawlessness such that the national government must step in. “You spit,” and in effect, “we bring in 2,000 National Guard. It’s an insurrection. We have an Act for that, whether the state’s governor calls for the feds or not.”

In Trump’s first administration, he said something that really stuck with me. He referred to our nation’s military generals as “his generals.” Here we are in his second administration. He is much more rapidly strong-arming the country to get what he wants.

Trump is gathering his generals for a mingle at Camp David. Whether said or unsaid, hanging over everybody’s head at Camp David is a proposed further reduction of our nation’s top generals by 20%. Sounds like a fun camp. It’s a camp set up to provide instant loyalty to a commander in chief who answers to no one.

Today’s protestors need to figure out how to stay lawful while our federal administration writes its own rules.

Lee B. James

Coupeville