Trump’s Failure to Learn from American Patriots
By Wes Martin
January 6, 2023

When our founding fathers developed the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they considered the legislative branch to be the most important as it represented the will of the people. For this reason, the legislative branch was identified in Article 1. The executive branch, to be led by the President, was identified in Article 2. This branch’s primary mission was to execute legislation approved by Congress, hence the term “executive.” Article 3 was dedicated to the judicial branch, with the responsibility to ensure the first two branches stay within their designated and legal boundaries.

The balance of power created in the Constitution comes with the expectation that members of those three branches of government will fulfill their responsibilities by placing the welfare and security of the nation ahead of self-serving ambitions. Donald Trump would have better served the United States and its citizens if he had dedicated himself to achieving that expectation. He also would have been better off personally if he'd fashioned himself after the ultimate founding father, George Washington.

Following the defeat of General Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown in 1781, the largest contingency of the American army was headquartered at Newburgh, New York. From here they could monitor and respond to British forces which were consolidated in New York City. Across the ocean, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were working to conclude the Paris Peace Treaty and secure Britain’s formal recognition of American Independence.

Meanwhile, the Articles of Confederation that were ratified six years earlier provided little power to the Continental Congress. Basic needs of the army, including wages for the soldiers, were not being met. The only thing not in short supply at the Newburgh encampment was loyalty and devotion of the soldiers to their commander, General Washington.

A large mass of people becoming increasingly agitated can be turned into a violent mob if not properly addressed. By March of 1783, anxiety and discontent was morphing into a potential military coup to overthrow the Continental Congress and place Washington in supreme control of the merging nation.

That developing plot had one major enemy: no one was going to rise to supreme power and destroy all that had been accomplished by the American people since the Battles of Lexington and Concord. That person was George Washington.

Washington assembled his officers into a central meeting. Maintaining an environment of calm, and capitalizing on the loyalty of his followers, Washington put an end to what is now known as the Newburgh Conspiracy. His words were simple and reflected a person of incredible integrity: “Let me conjure you in the name of our common country, as you value your sacred honor, as you respect the right of humanity and your regard of the military and national character of America, to express your utmost horror and detestation of the man who wishes under any specious pretenses to overturn the liberties of our country.”

Washington’s ability to build an army out of volunteers from every colony and his integrity in not using his support base for his own personal gain, made Washington the only choice to lead the Constitutional Convention. When the Constitution was being written it was obvious to all delegates that the only way this new form of government would work was for Washington to be the first President; and after eight years of holding that office, Washington determined it was time for the peaceful transition of power to a duly-elected successor.

Two-hundred and twenty-four years later, President Donald Trump totally violated every standard of leadership and ethics established by George Washington, both as General and President. Peaceful transition of power was usurped by chaos and violence that started within the President’s Oval Office.

When faced with the reality that his re-election campaign had failed, without facts to support his claims, President Trump stated the election was stolen. In fact, it was Trump who contacted Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and made a variety of claims ranging from the Dominion Machines to dead people voting. To his credit, Raffensperger maintained the moral high-ground in the conversation, defended the accuracy of the machines, and stated with evidence that only two ballots had been received in the name of deceased people, not the thousands claimed by Trump.

Trump was in part right about one thing. He was not necessarily defeated in his re-election campaign by Joe Biden. Trump was beaten by his own ego, his continuing slander of anyone who did not cower from him, and his inability to recognize how he won the presidential election in 2016.

If Trump had acted like President Ronald Reagan instead of himself he would not have alienated voters. Reagan often stated, “Attack the message, not the messenger.” It was enjoyable to witness the personal interaction between President Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. Despite their political disagreements, they always treated each other with humor, humility, and respect.

Trump lost in Arizona in no small part because he spent five years slandering the state’s favorite son John McCain, to include the year following the Senator’s death. In Michigan Trump ignored the fact that four years earlier Jill Stein had pulled just enough votes away from Hillary Clinton to deliver that state’s electoral delegates to him.

Trump also failed to recognize that in 2016 he won because there were enough people across America who were so disgusted with Hillary Clinton that they would vote for anyone else. In 2020, his antics over the previous four years had generated similar disgust toward himself.

In his re-election bid, Trump clearly failed to understand that maintaining respect and trust of moderate Republicans, conservative Democrats, and Independents are not factors to be taken lightly.

Convinced that he could somehow maintain the Presidency, Trump refused to allow his staff to fulfill the smooth transition of power standard set by Washington. How he thought he would remain in office was beyond logic. He certainly could not call on the military, because senior officers understand and are beholden to “the military and national character of America” identified by Washington at Newburgh. Furthermore, the military oath of allegiance specifically states, “support and defend the Constitution.” Obeying the orders of the President only applies when those orders are legal and within the Constitution’s framework.

On January 6, 2021, Trump stood before a giant rally and continued with his lies at the National Mall. The House of Representatives January 6th panel has determined that extremist groups did come to D.C. intent on storming the Capitol. Trump’s rhetoric encouraged them and excited others who would have settled for the peaceful assembly guaranteed in the Constitution’s First Amendment.

Had Trump behaved like Washington at Newburgh – or even Reagan in an old movie western – he would have used his “marshal” status to de-escalate tension within the crowd. The people who stormed into and damaged the U.S. Capitol illegally broke into a building that belongs to all Americans. Their attack on the peaceful transition of government was an attack on our nation and an attempt to destroy the legacy handed down to us for safe keeping until we pass it on to our descendants.

In recognizing Trump’s failure to learn from Washington or Reagan, there should be no reasonable expectation that he would have accepted the wisdom of President Harry Truman who stated: “All power is temporary. Leave it in the best condition possible.”

Twenty-two months after the January 6th assault on the Capitol, Trump continues to prove that he has learned nothing. In December of 2022, referring to his failure to be elected, Trump stated, “…A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!"

To call the memory of the Founding Fathers into his comments is total hypocrisy. Instead of accepting these or any other words of Trump, it is our responsibility as Americans to turn back to Washington and express “utmost horror and detestation of the man who wishes under any specious pretenses to overturn the liberties of our country.”

©2021 Wes Martin