PUBLISHED IN REALCLEARPOLITICS.COM
Dear President Trump:
In mid-August, shortly after the FBI made its unannounced, unprecedented search of Mar-a-Lago, you acknowledged America’s rising levels of anger and polarization and you made an extraordinary offer:
“The temperature has to be brought down in the country. If it isn’t, terrible things are going to happen,” you said. “I will do whatever I can to help the country.”
Offer accepted. Here’s how you can best help the nation step back from the precipice of civil disorder: Declare you will not be a candidate for president in 2024.
And by the way – President Biden, who falsely cast himself as the unity candidate in 2020 and has since made a series of dark, incendiary speeches demonizing all Republicans as a threat to democracy, should step to a Rose Garden podium and make a similar announcement. Only then will the healing begin, and the risk of politically inspired violence begin to diminish.
I’m a conservative who voted for you in 2016 and 2020 and I regret neither vote. Had you continued in office in 2021, the U.S. and the world would be safer and in far better economic condition today because you would have continued to encourage the exploitation of our vast energy resources; completed your efforts to close our southern border and stem both unfettered immigration and the importation of deadly fentanyl; ensured that law enforcement had the resources it needs to control rising crime that has all Americans on edge; and tried to slow the spread of racially divisive and sexually inappropriate materials in our schools.
You deserve great credit for engendering a political realignment that will ensure conservative ideas remain relevant. As many U.S. corporations have tacked left, intent on imposing an intolerant “woke” agenda far beyond their boardrooms, you have persuaded increasing numbers of working people and minorities that their best interests are no longer represented by a Democratic Party drawn to fringe ideology that matters to only a sliver of the electorate.
But these initiatives can and should proceed without you as Republicans continue to take advantage of a favorable electoral environment.
As I shuffle in the general direction of retirement, I expect the 2024 election to produce eight years of conservative leadership more likely to foster economic prosperity and stability which will prevent the further erosion of my retirement funds. You cannot offer us eight years. Because you’ve already been elected president once, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limits you to one more term. That’s probably a good thing because in November 2024, you’ll be 78, five months older than Joe Biden was on Election Day 2020.
If you run again, the electorate’s attention will be diverted from winning issues which beg for exposition. Corrupt Justice Department jackals, at the behest of the Biden White House, will not let you rest. Whether the cause du jour is Jan. 6, classified documents, or your business operations, they will continue to harass and likely indict you. You will be playing defense when your team is poised to take the ball and drive down the field.
The merits of the claims against you are almost beside the point. What matters is that none of the other leading Republican contenders will have to contend with such distractions. We can’t afford to let distractions dilute the message.
You cannot secure personal vindication in 2024. Yes, there were irregularities in 2020. Two of them are undeniable: Mark Zuckerberg’s injection of $420 million to turn public elections administrators into get-out-the-vote activists in swing-state Democratic municipalities; and the FBI’s pressure on social media to censor reporting detrimental to Biden, including the Hunter Biden laptop story.
But it will never be possible to quantify the effect of those irregularities on the 2020 vote. Instead of relitigating 2020, there must be focus through 2024 and beyond on preventing the repeat of assaults on election integrity. (This week’s election of Republicans at the state level is a positive step in closing election loopholes.)
Another important consideration – you have never been a stranger to controversy. You thrive on being in the arena, duking it out, counterpunching, exposing hypocrisy. But the country can’t handle the daily maelstrom anymore, especially when it gets personal. The ties that bind us are on the verge of unraveling. As you’ve recognized, we need calm.
At the 2016 Republican National Convention, you famously said, “I alone can fix it.” That is no longer an argument for your candidacy. You may not publicly admit it right now, given your publicly expressed ambivalence toward Ron DeSantis, but you know he’s capable of carrying on the work you began. Equally worthy are Nikki Haley and Glenn Youngkin (to identify only two among several), both of whom offer the values, administrative experience, and calm demeanor we need to right the ship.
Your selfless decision to withdraw from the 2024 race would be statesmanlike, truly a historic “America First” moment. Think of the endorphins your announcement will release. Can you leave the political stage with such goodwill and positive energy? If you truly recognize what’s best for the country, you can and will.
Call any time if you want to discuss my proposal. I speak only for myself, but I know there are many committed conservatives who agree. My very best to you and Melania, and thanks for your service.
— Jim Greenfield
I voted for Trump twice and will do again given the opportunity in 2024. Trump is the enemy of the Clinton, Bush, Cheney, and Biden families. If Trump were President today there would have been no Ukrainian war and no talk of nuclear war.
From an Orthodox standpoint when will we ever see another Presidential candidate who wants to get along with Russia? From a Hellenic standpoint if Trump had been President when Turkey shot down the Russian plane over Syria, it is quite possible Russia would have given Turkey proper punishment without American interference.
The anti Russian hysteria of the last several years has been to the benefit of the Turks. I voted Republican on Tuesday because I consider the democrats evil (infanticide, trans gender ideology imposed on children).
Any future Republican candidates must adopt an anti war and anti empire stance.
Trump is not the reason for the outcome of the elections. The media dictatorship spent weeks scaring people about a Republican victory. Trump in my opinion is tough and capable and is one of the few American politicians not duped by the pro war fanatics in both parties.
I have to admit your argument is a very serious one. Most people do NOT know that Desantis has not taken a clear stance against the war in Ukraine – and this is very important for all of us on the conservative anti-warparty side. If DeSantis wants to unite all conservatives and lead them he has to make a stance… Otherwise, we will be very suspicious of his true motives.
Well said and I agree
DeSantis is too inexperienced yet –
let’s get him later after a Trump 2024 victory! Trump has to come back because the Left did him dirty and we need to settle the score.
Trump sabotaged midterm elections…
I can’t tell ya how many democrats I asked to vote Zeldin in NY & they yelled no way bc he’s for Trump & same happened to Dr. Oz.
DeSantis must strike while iron is hot!
DeSantis is a plant and a Rhino. His actions and lack of action are clear in this regard. Don’t be duped by DeSantis and the left who want to see him succeed. Do your homework.
The best of all possible worlds would be for Trump to run with DiSantis as his running mate. A rapprochement between the two, as happened years ago between Kennedy and Johnson, would make for a winning ticket and one that would cover every conceivable exigency, all the while assuring an ideologic continuity for years to come. Wishful thinking? Maybe so, but in politics anything is possible.
Probably wishful thinking… Two huge egos do not fit in one ticket… Best if Trump could see his role as supporting the election of patriot candidates for Congress and primarying the RINOs and sold-outs to the WarParty…
One very serious issue: DeSantis has not clarified well his position on the Ukraine war.
As a once democrat, whose party’s leftist ideologies left me with no other choice but entree into the Republican Party (thirteen proud years ago of patriotism)– I encountered the Greeks that Sir G. talks about… they will never vote beyond their “d” for dimwit party! I am now struggling with the fact that the dreaded dems know and use tricks that the Republicans have yet to learn… The early votes went to them breezily and will continue to do so, unless we learn this method! I say to my republican friends– learn their machiavellian ways!
Mr. Greenfield succumbs to the corrupt Establishment’s intimidation tactics to the point of admitting that the cowardly cabal will not let Trump rest even one minute if he becomes president again. The one thing Mr. Greenfield fails to mention is how the cabal will bring out their mercenary Antifa and BLM thugs to burn down the country not just for one summer but for four whole years. If he mentioned that he would have caved even more.
It is time for the American people to realize that freedom will not be intimidated, freedom will not be blackmailed, freedom will not be held hostage and freedom is not negotiable.
A Democrat once said, “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” I can think of only one recent president who answered that call. And only that president, Donald J. Trump, can take on the corrupt cabal head on and win, Antifa and BLM included.
Mr. DeSantis is 44 years old. He can wait until 2028 to become president. He’ll be only 50 then. Let him take some notes until 2028 because most of the issues that he’ll be facing are above his head. Tallahassee is no Beltway.
Right now only one man can:
Make America Strong Again.
Make America Wealthy Again.
Make America Proud Again.
Make America Safe Again.
And yes, together with Trump we will Make America Great Again.
Well said!
Nick, I have to agree with Theodoros, Zoey, James, and Giorgos. The Republican party is not yet clear on DeSantis’s stances on several things, as you also pointed out. Personally, I don’t believe he is “strong” enough and they (meaning the Dems) are going to destroy him in much the same way that they attempted to destroy Mr. Trump. Every single day for four years they HARASSED that man and wouldn’t let him do his job. They harassed him to the point of bringing out some of the “ugly” in him, prompting him to say things he probably should have never said and tweet messages he should never have tweeted. But then again, I think that was their goal. They WANTED to provoke him. They WANTED to get a rise out of him to make him say and do things that were absurd, and then go for the jugular with impeachment proceedings and setting him up to fail. January 6 was PLANNED, and NOT by Trump, but by the other side. There is far too much evidence of that. If all of that bullshit had happened with someone like DeSantis in office, DeSantis would have folded like a house of cards. I argue constantly with acquaintances of mine from the Left who spew the same talking points and make stuff up about Republicans to make themselves look good. A Trump-DeSantis ticket WOULD probably be the best strategy. Trump can take the hits, DeSantis can take copious notes, and after four years, DeSantis will be poised to “take over” and run as a presidential candidate with the promise to continue the policies of his predecessor to KEEP America Great. Because I truly believe that all of this bullshit — gas prices, grocery prices, Ukraine/Russia war, Turkey’s bullshit — ALL of it, will be fixed or neutralized under Trump. The absolute NUMBER ONE priority in this country is the economy. If the American people can’t pay their bills because expenses are far outweighing their income, we don’t have a country. Once the economy is fixed, everything else will fall into place. In the meantime, Trump will work on re-establishing relations with Putin, Trump, et al. and we can gain the respect of the rest of the world again. You think the world was laughing at us when Trump was in office? That’s NOTHING compared to how they’re laughing at us now with this incompetent man in MY Oval Office who can’t put two sentences together and doesn’t know where he IS half the time. Crooked Joe and the Left are DESTROYING our country, and we need to put a stop to that. I do like DeSantis… I’m just not convinced yet that he’s tough enough to handle it.
The chorus of voices blaming the midterm election results on Trump is beyond baffling. Folks vote on party lines. Oprah Winfrey endorsed Fetterman despite her history with being a promoter of Dr. Oz on her show and her backing the Dr. Oz show. As far as this “open letter” to former President Trump – last time I checked we are still a free country. I don’t know Mr. Greenfield’s relevance to the Hellenic and Orthodox communities. I’m sure Mr. Greenfield would not entertain giving up his legal practice because of anyone’s “open letter”, Did he write an “open letter” to Biden citing his age and any other concerns? No need to answer.