I read Gary Rosenblatt’s column (“The Sad Descent From ‘Members Of The Tribe’ To Tribalism,” Oct. 27), and as is most often the case, he struck a raw nerve in the Jewish community which most people would like to ignore. Although I agree with most of the analysis, I feel obligated to object to one aspect of the piece.
By calling out Mr. Trump for “his boorish behavior, narcissism … and penchant for telling lies,” Rosenblatt seems to imply that the divisiveness in our country (and Jewish community) is somehow his responsibility. I would argue that true blame should be placed on his predecessor, who, with the exception of “boorish behavior” (and this is clearly what offends the liberal elite the most about Mr. Trump), was unparalleled in his narcissism and his penchant for telling lies on the most important matters of his presidency.
Just a few examples of the latter are the infamous: “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor,” the lies regarding the Benghazi attack, the Iran deal and the Uranium One deal.
In terms of divisiveness, even his detractors had hoped that the first African-American president would bridge the racial divide in our country and make a lasting contribution to racial harmony. In reality, Mr. Obama did everything but.
Mr. Trump certainly has his flaws and a strong argument can be made that he should never have been elected president. Whitewashing the Obama administration and failing to bring it to task on the numerous abuses of power and outright disregard for the law was a major factor in the election of Mr. Trump.
Long Branch, N.J.
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