Blog 3816 – 05.04.2026

Normalizing Bad Behavior 

Time was when certain behaviors were expected of our leaders. It was assumed they would not lie, cheat, or steal. It is surprising how few laws have actually been written down to regulate the requirements of Presidents. They must be born in the United States, must be thirty-five years old, and take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. It was just assumed that they would put their personal business interests in a blind trust so as to not profit from decisions they would make as President.

For most of our 250 year history, because our first President, George Washington declined to serve for more than two four years old terms it was assumed that no President would serve any longer. FDR shattered that norm and so Congress made that tradition a law prohibiting any President from serve more than two terms.

Our current President has shattered more norms of behavior than any President before him. He infamously said before being elected to his first term that he could shoot someone on the streets of New York City and that his numbers would not go down. All his life he has believed that he can do whatever he wants without consequence. He is wrong on both counts.

I wonder if growing up rich he thinks that anyone who believes the little saying, “You cannot do wrong and get by, no matter how hard you may try” to be suckers. He does remind me of another famous New Yorker con-man, grifter, P.T. Barnum, who said, “There’s a sucker is born every minute.”

Donald J. Trump has described those who fought and died for their country as “suckers” as well as those who play by the rules, pay their taxes, and admit their mistakes and failures and try to rectify them. He calls reporters “nasty people” for questioning him, and he is suing the IRS for ten billion dollars because a rogue employee revealed a portion of his tax returns. Until he was elected in 2016 that was considered a normal thing that people running for high office did to show that they played by the rules. 

A Democrat running for President, former United States Senator Gary Hart was photographed on a yacht called Risky Business with a pretty woman, not his wife, in a bikini sitting on his lap and his candidacy was over.  A taped conversation of Donald Trump saying that as a celebrity he could do whatever he wanted with pretty young women (we all heard the tape.) He defended the remark as “locker room talk.”

In my opinion we have lowered the bar far too low and allowed the standard of good behavior to be completely distorted and destroyed. Times were when we expected far more of our leaders and held them to a higher standard. High crimes and misdemeanors is the standard for impeachment. If there is a free and fair election this November, President Trump is likely to be impeached a third time and this time removed from office, setting yet another record for bad behavior in office.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David James White