Letters: Public office not a branding opportunity; American people deserve full transparency
Public office not a branding opportunity
As our nation approaches its 250th birthday, former President George W. Bush reflected on George Washington’s defining trait: humility. In “For a Leader, Humility Is the Ultimate Strength,” Bush reminded us that Washington understood power as a trust, not a possession. He surrendered command of the Continental Army after the Revolution and stepped down after two presidential terms — choosing country over ego and setting a precedent that shaped the republic.
Bush never mentioned Donald Trump. He didn’t have to.
Washington relinquished power. Trump monetizes it.
Trump has sued American taxpayers for $10 billion over the leak of tax returns he long promised to release. He has splashed his name and likeness across federal properties — from the Kennedy Center to the Department of Justice, from children’s savings accounts to warships and national park passes. He has reportedly threatened to withhold support for infrastructure projects unless Penn Station and Dulles Airport are renamed in his honor.
And it doesn’t stop at symbolism. His family business has sought trademarks tied to potential airport names, including for airport-themed merchandise — luggage, animal carriers, even “shoes for protection of airline passengers’ feet during airport security screening.” Public office, in this model, is not a public trust but a branding opportunity.
Washington showed the world that democratic leadership requires restraint and willingness to put the good of the country over self-interest.
Two hundred fifty years later, we must decide whether the presidency should remain a public trust or become a personal side hustle.
Ed Satalia, State College
American people deserve full transparency
How convenient.
As tensions with Iran dominate the headlines and cable news panels light up with talk of war, a different story is quietly slipping out of public view: the continued failure to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files — despite repeated promises of transparency.
For years, Americans were told that the Epstein case would expose a network of the powerful and well-connected. We were told there would be accountability. We were told that no one would be shielded because of wealth or status.
Yet critical portions of the investigative record remain unreleased or heavily redacted. Reports indicate that entire sections — including interview summaries — are missing from what has already been disclosed. Whether those omissions are bureaucratic incompetence or deliberate withholding, the result is the same: the public is left in the dark.
And now, just as scrutiny intensifies over what has and hasn’t been released, the national conversation shifts dramatically toward military conflict abroad.
Americans are capable of caring about more than one issue at a time. We can be concerned about global instability and demand transparency at home. But history teaches us that moments of international crisis often provide convenient cover for uncomfortable domestic questions.
If there is nothing to hide, then release everything. All of it. No missing pages. No selective redactions. No political shielding.
The American people deserve full transparency — not distraction, not deflection, and not silence.
William J. Rothwell, State College
Congress must act to stop war
Article I, Section 8 of our Constitution gives Congress the power “To declare War,” but since its last war declaration on December 8, 1941, our country has engaged in many military conflicts. For some of them, including Vietnam, Afghanistan and the second Iraq War our government told us we were freeing the people of these countries from oppressive governments.
Although those governments were oppressive, all those efforts failed. Vietnam and Afghanistan are now ruled by those we fought against; the second Iraq War gave us ISIS domination of large parts of Iraq and Syria prompting more military intervention. These wars cost many lives, hundreds of billions if not trillions of dollars, and irreplaceable American credibility at home and abroad.
After tearing up a nuclear treaty that his first Secretary of Defense thought was effective, after bombing their nuclear facility and declaring their nuclear facilities destroyed, our President has started a war with Iran without even pretending to consult Congress and with far worse explanations than we were given for Vietnam or Iraq.
The government of Iran is oppressive and cruel as was its Supreme Leader, but it poses no threat to the U.S. Even if our military succeeds in “regime change,” the potential for instability or regional conflict from this war is frightening. The results of recent American wars bring no comfort.
The founders placed the authority to declare war in Congress to prevent our country from going to war foolishly. Congress must assert its role and stop this war.
Jesse Barlow, State College