The White House occupant can't hide his lack of respect for America's values and history. The mayor of New York, meanwhile, offered a hopeful, pro-immigrant vision of America.
Couldn’t bear to watch Trump. - Thank you for doing so & providing the information about his nearly obscene speech so contradictory it is to his beliefs and actions.
But
Zohran Mamdani words you provided are meaningful.
“What a privilege each of us has, to live in a nation that every one of its inhabitants can shape.
What a responsibility each of us possesses, to prove ourselves worthy of all those who came before.
What power each of us holds, to bring America ever-closer to the greatness so many have seen when they looked upon these shores — the greatness that, for 250 years, has been America.”
Thank you for the synopsis of Trump's tired old trite retread speech of ignorance. He has now added communism/ communist to the play list because he's got nothing else but algae. 🌱
I have a garden, and a perpetual challenge for gardeners involves both fostering healthy growth and limiting the damage garden pests inflicts. Sometimes I see in Trump the kind of revelation of underlying rot you discover when you dig up an ailing shrub to look at the roots and discover they've been destroyed from below by some deeply buried enemy, or fungal disease. Trump is emblematic of that disease and I am grateful that we can now better see the extent of it. We have to endure the shock as well as the fear and nausea that this entails, but then we snap out of it and start looking for a cure. This has been a long time coming, and given time and the resources we can bring to bear, together, we will get rid of him and all he represents.
It’s appalling how he has desecrated not only our federal land, but has taken apart our government piece by piece. He has his own “golden” rule, but he and his co-conspirators live by the sword.
We successfully avoided paying attention to Washington, D.C. on July 4, except for enjoying the schadenfreude. I wish you didn't have to listen to that little man on our behalf, Stephen. For me, ignore-ance is bliss...
As Bugs Bunny would have said, “What a Maroon…!”. Mayor Mamdani’s speech really saved what was left of the Fourth for me. It was the speech that should have been made by a real president. Le Monde had an interesting article today about the destruction of the elevation of the office of presidency in terms of character…and it’s true. All our expectations of the sober-minded office holder of the highest and most honored post in the country have been shattered. But this has been true from the very beginning of the Trump infestation into higher office and even before. Video clips of Trump challenging President Obama’s birthplace were and are particularly disturbing. His propensity to lie and cheat his way into our elections is for me, the equivalent of the rotten apple that eventually spreads to the entire bushel.
Little wonder that most of us don’t even have to listen to his obscenities cloaked as speeches to know what he is going to say. Slipping in a trite “we all love each other”, a quip that tries to bandaid an open wound of corruption and evil that never gets a chance to heal will serve no purpose. Mr. Trump, save your breath. We all know what you are going to say before you say it. Your diatribes are all too predictable.
On this most important Fourth, it made me unbearably sad to have Trump at the head of the line. Maybe next year will be better. I certainly hope so…and hope is better than despair. Let’s keep the faith that we can repair not only the lining of the pool, but the lining of our democracy. Then perhaps we can ALL once more, as the old spiritual says, “wade in the water”.
Thank you! I felt unbearably sad, too. I live in Williamsburg VA, and so many people flooded our town to celebrate the founding fathers, especially Jefferson, who lived here and studied law here. I couldn't bring myself to join in, when every day only vitriol and hatred, greed and corruption dominate the words and actions coming from the White House. Thank you for your comments on Stephen's excellent piece. And now I have a mantra to lift my spirits! What a maroon!! 😊
Such an uninspired speech Trump read so poorly. Has he ever shown he truly cares about anything? He’s a man without a soul. Only hate and jealousy, lackluster imagery, and a constant need to extol himself or berate others foul every speech.
Great essay, Stephen. The speechwriter should be president. Snd he didn't really praise waw heroes. He used them as props sine he has forever said the country was a disaster until he became a president and used his position to coerce bribes snd manipulate regulation to become rich. Plus hes destroying the white house snd memorials. And hes destroying the reflecting pool and harassing some sportsman and blaming him (who looked at floating algae for the millions the us was charged from a no bid contracts. Ita like Al Capone thanking a war hero for allowing him to be a mafia criminal.
Couldn’t bear to watch Trump. - Thank you for doing so & providing the information about his nearly obscene speech so contradictory it is to his beliefs and actions.
But
Zohran Mamdani words you provided are meaningful.
“What a privilege each of us has, to live in a nation that every one of its inhabitants can shape.
What a responsibility each of us possesses, to prove ourselves worthy of all those who came before.
What power each of us holds, to bring America ever-closer to the greatness so many have seen when they looked upon these shores — the greatness that, for 250 years, has been America.”
Counting on Nov 3 2026
It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
Thank you for the synopsis of Trump's tired old trite retread speech of ignorance. He has now added communism/ communist to the play list because he's got nothing else but algae. 🌱
I have a garden, and a perpetual challenge for gardeners involves both fostering healthy growth and limiting the damage garden pests inflicts. Sometimes I see in Trump the kind of revelation of underlying rot you discover when you dig up an ailing shrub to look at the roots and discover they've been destroyed from below by some deeply buried enemy, or fungal disease. Trump is emblematic of that disease and I am grateful that we can now better see the extent of it. We have to endure the shock as well as the fear and nausea that this entails, but then we snap out of it and start looking for a cure. This has been a long time coming, and given time and the resources we can bring to bear, together, we will get rid of him and all he represents.
It’s appalling how he has desecrated not only our federal land, but has taken apart our government piece by piece. He has his own “golden” rule, but he and his co-conspirators live by the sword.
We successfully avoided paying attention to Washington, D.C. on July 4, except for enjoying the schadenfreude. I wish you didn't have to listen to that little man on our behalf, Stephen. For me, ignore-ance is bliss...
As Bugs Bunny would have said, “What a Maroon…!”. Mayor Mamdani’s speech really saved what was left of the Fourth for me. It was the speech that should have been made by a real president. Le Monde had an interesting article today about the destruction of the elevation of the office of presidency in terms of character…and it’s true. All our expectations of the sober-minded office holder of the highest and most honored post in the country have been shattered. But this has been true from the very beginning of the Trump infestation into higher office and even before. Video clips of Trump challenging President Obama’s birthplace were and are particularly disturbing. His propensity to lie and cheat his way into our elections is for me, the equivalent of the rotten apple that eventually spreads to the entire bushel.
Little wonder that most of us don’t even have to listen to his obscenities cloaked as speeches to know what he is going to say. Slipping in a trite “we all love each other”, a quip that tries to bandaid an open wound of corruption and evil that never gets a chance to heal will serve no purpose. Mr. Trump, save your breath. We all know what you are going to say before you say it. Your diatribes are all too predictable.
On this most important Fourth, it made me unbearably sad to have Trump at the head of the line. Maybe next year will be better. I certainly hope so…and hope is better than despair. Let’s keep the faith that we can repair not only the lining of the pool, but the lining of our democracy. Then perhaps we can ALL once more, as the old spiritual says, “wade in the water”.
Thank you! I felt unbearably sad, too. I live in Williamsburg VA, and so many people flooded our town to celebrate the founding fathers, especially Jefferson, who lived here and studied law here. I couldn't bring myself to join in, when every day only vitriol and hatred, greed and corruption dominate the words and actions coming from the White House. Thank you for your comments on Stephen's excellent piece. And now I have a mantra to lift my spirits! What a maroon!! 😊
Such an uninspired speech Trump read so poorly. Has he ever shown he truly cares about anything? He’s a man without a soul. Only hate and jealousy, lackluster imagery, and a constant need to extol himself or berate others foul every speech.
An excellent summary. We shall overcome!
Great essay, Stephen. The speechwriter should be president. Snd he didn't really praise waw heroes. He used them as props sine he has forever said the country was a disaster until he became a president and used his position to coerce bribes snd manipulate regulation to become rich. Plus hes destroying the white house snd memorials. And hes destroying the reflecting pool and harassing some sportsman and blaming him (who looked at floating algae for the millions the us was charged from a no bid contracts. Ita like Al Capone thanking a war hero for allowing him to be a mafia criminal.
I too admire Mamdani….what a breath of fresh air he has brought to NYC!
Thank you Steven.