To the Editor:

In “Stop Throwing the Word Treason Around” (Op-Ed, Aug. 9 ), Christopher Buskirk suggests that Democrats, in applying the word “treason” to Donald Trump’s actions, “are willing to pull down our institutions and tear apart the social and political fabric that holds us together .”

Perhaps he has forgotten that President Trump himself has played fast and loose with the term. In Blue Ash, Ohio, on Feb. 5, for instance, Mr. Trump said Democratic lawmakers who failed to applaud his State of the Union address “were like death. And un-American. Un-American. Somebody said, ‘treasonous.’ I mean, yeah, I guess, why not? Can we call that treason? Why not! I mean they certainly didn’t seem to love our country very much .”

The Constitution states, “Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort .” The framers carefully worded this definition, to prevent accusations of treason as a means of stifling political dissent . It does seem clear that this is the definition that would apply to the president, or any other American. As far as Mr. Trump is concerned, the question then becomes: Are the Russians our enemies, and has the president given them aid and comfort?

I agree that we bandy about the word “treason,” and a great many other insulting terms, too readily in our current political discourse. It is time for us all to take a step back from heated rhetoric and look at the facts.