An Open Letter to My Children About Donald Trump

Not about the man. About the way of thinking about the world.

(I have two children. A 7 yr old daughter named Stella and a 4 yr old son named Truman.)

Dear children,

I’m writing this letter to you about something that you can not yet fully understand. In fact, it is hard for many grownups to even understand what I am writing about. But in time, I know you will understand this letter and it will become clear to you why I have written it.

This letter is about Donald Trump.

I know you have heard me talk about Donald Trump. And you may have even seen Donald Trump, the man, on television. But you see the Donald Trump that I’m writing you about is not really a man at all. Donald Trump is something entirely different indeed. Donald Trump is a way of thinking about the world.

Being Donald Trump means that you are afraid. That you are afraid of people who are not like you. You are afraid that those people will take what you have. Or what you feel should be yours. And that fear makes you hate those people. All of those people. You are not sure why, but you hate them. And you take away those people’s names and you take away their stories. And you hate them. And you keep them away.

Donald Trump means believing that you are stronger if you are bigger or angrier or you have more violence than the other people. If you try to listen to or hear the other people, you are weak. And you will lose. You will lose at the game. You are not sure what the game is, but you know that if you are weak or ugly or fat you will lose at the game and you will be a loser. But if you are strong or you have more money or you can punch those people in the face, you will win at the game.

Donald Trump means believing that if you are a boy it is better than being a girl. And being a boy will surely help you win at the game. But being a pretty girl is much, much better than being an ugly or a fat girl. If you are a fat girl or you look different from the pretty girls, you are ugly… and that is not good. But it is always best to be a strong boy who has lots of money. Because money is the most important part of the game. And you want to win at the game.

Donald Trump also means that you don’t need to be right about something to say it or even to believe it. You just need to say it. You need to say it loudly and many times and you need to believe that it is right and then it will be right. Even if it is not right.

You see my children, there are many people who like Donald Trump. And these people want Donald Trump to be America, the place where you live and are growing. And if Donald Trump is America, and that is the place where you live and grow, then you may also one day become Donald Trump. And that is why I am writing this letter. Because I am worried about Donald Trump and I am worried about you becoming Donald Trump.