A woman who is unfaithful to her husband violates her marriage vow. A businessman who cheats his customers violates the law. A US president who constantly lies and does not defend the Constitution violates the oath of office.
Relationships And Trust
People who tell lies are difficult to trust. Most adults would hesitate to have much to do with such a person. Truth underlies successful relationships. Telling the truth is an ethical issue, not just a practical or political one. Integrity is vital to all successful relationships.
Business Relationships
Businesses suffer when they give no guarantee for work, charge excessive prices, sell items made of cheap materials, or add charges that were not initially discussed. An unspoken agreement states that a business will provide a product that lasts a reasonable period. If we encounter a lying businessman, we will likely never return.
Personal Relationships
A long-term relationship requires trust. Do people sometimes tell white lies? Yes. Might he or she say that a job is done as the person goes to do it? Yes. If I were to discover that this person lies to me about important topics, I would need to consider breaking the relationship off.
A relationship of any type is based on trust. Infidelity in a sexual/romantic relationship can be a deal-breaker. One person’s faith in the other’s fidelity has been shattered. Some people can work through this, but if it happens again, who knows?
The American Presidency
The presidency and the American people share elements of business and personal relationships. This relationship exists even if most citizens never interact personally the president. The president has a role in spending tax dollars that we pay. We need to believe that we will be treated well by the government. We also need to believe that this leader tells the truth. Otherwise, we do not really know what is going on.
In 2021, the Washington Post did some fact-checking of Trump’s statements over his four presidential years, called “Trump’s false or misleading claims total 30, 573 over 4 years.” Each year, Trump increased the number of these statements.
Trump averaged about six claims a day in his first year as president, 16 claims a day in his second year, 22 claims [a] day in his third year—and 39 claims a day in his final year.
(See more about these inaccurate claims at Tracking all of President Trump’s false or misleading claims – Washington Post.)
My Response
Former President Trump lied about the size of the crowds at his inauguration. I knew that we, as a country, were in serious trouble. We could all see the size of the crowds on television.
I did fact checking myself when Trump was in office. I did not assume that what he said was true. I felt like each day I was waking up to an uncertain future. Luckily, the checks and balances in democracy held up, for the most part.
I cannot comprehend why Donald Trump appeals to many Americans. I have tried to understand. He lacks knowledge of government and the world, has little self-control, alienates world leaders, and is petty and mean. I do not trust he will use my tax money well. I also do not trust him personally. Before he was president, he was unfaithful to his wives, cheated business partners, and several times went bankrupt and let the American people pay the tab.
Can Former President Trump Legitimately Take the Oath of Office?
Can a regular liar legitimately take the oath of office? The oath reads, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Trump violated the Constitution, Article III, Section 1 by urging his followers to disrupt the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021. He has been lying for almost four years that he was the legitimately elected president. He shared intelligence with people without clearance and stored sensitive documents insecurely in his house. Additionally, he threatened people and asked them to take action to overturn the election.
Should the rest of us held to a higher standard than the president?. If we sexually assaulted someone, lied at work, made fun of a disabled person, or shared sensitive company secrets, we would be fired from most jobs.
I suggest that former President Trump is not eligible to take the oath of office.
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