There’s an internet meme going around that was created with the apparent intention of allowing Trump supporters to distance themselves from the former President while continuing to support him. But, in order to accomplish that goal, the creator of the meme had to ignore what we know about where Trump stands on the issues and create an alternate reality where Trump’s policies and beliefs coincide with pro-American thoughts and values.
I wanted to highlight the meme and respond point-by-point to detail just how intellectually disingenuous it is, and by extension, how intellectually disingenuous Trump supporters are being who use the logic behind the meme as justification for their continued support of such a dishonest, dishonorable man. To do that, I’ve included the meme below in bold font. My responses are in italics.
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Someone recently asked me why I like Trump. My answer was that I don’t really like a lot of things about Trump.
But this election is not about choosing the most likeable person.
We are voting between two vastly different ideologies. We are voting for the country we want to leave our children and grandchildren.
To this point, this hasn’t gone too far off the rails. Anyone posting this meme (millions have posted it on Facebook and other social media platforms) is saying, “Sure, Trump can be a bit of a jerk, but I’m not voting for a best friend. I’m voting for the person who is going to lead our country. We’re voting for the future of the country, and the future of our children and grandchildren.” If I didn’t know what comes next, I’d think the meme to this point is reasonable. But I do know what comes next, and there’s nothing reasonable about it.
Trump represents that future and has proven that he can deliver. He is a patriot to the core and even served his country for 4 years without pay.
“Trump represents the future?” His entire schtick is about restoring some past glory to our country. His campaign is a throwback to a dark past where marginalized groups were kept in the shadows and treated as second class citizens, if they were acknowledged at all. No matter what you think about Trump, it’s hard to make the case that his campaign and the policy proposals he has embraced are forward looking. He is very much a retro-candidate.
“He is a patriot to the core?” Come on, this isn’t even close to being true. He went to great lengths to avoid military service, he has disrespected our troops time and time again, he’s suggested that we suspend the Constitution when it doesn’t suit his purposes, he encouraged a mob to attack our Capitol on January 6, and he did everything in his power to overturn a free and fair election that he lost. These are not the actions of a patriot. In fact, just the opposite. They are the action of an un-American provocateur.
“(He) served his country for 4 years without pay.” This is a popular claim among Trump supporters to try to shine a positive light on their guy. It’s only partially true. The President earns $400,000 per year and he is not allowed to decline the payment. So, Trump was paid his salary just like every other president.
However, it is true that Trump then made donations equal to his salary to various federal agencies, including the National Park Service and the Department of Health and Human Services. At the same time he made these donations, he was earning millions of dollars by charging federal employees–including his own Secret Service detail–to stay in one of the properties he owns. In many cases, he charged his own Secret Service detail more to stay at his property than would have been paid by someone off the street.
I don’t want to ignore the fact that Trump donated the equivalent of his Presidential salary to various government departments and agencies, but the fact remains that he made significantly more money off the federal government while he was president than he donated. He wasn’t serving us so much as he was serving himself.
That moment when someone says, “I can’t believe you’re voting for Trump”. I simply reply, “I’m NOT voting for Trump.”
I’m voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech. I’m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored.
Pointing to Trump (or any Republican) as the “Free Speech” candidate is laughable. It is Republicans throughout the country who are pushing to ban books in schools and public libraries. And it’s Republicans who are limiting what words and subjects can be taught in our public schools. That’s the opposite of free speech.
Project 2025 specifically lists words and phrases that cannot be used in federal legislation or department policy. For instance, words and phrases like “climate change,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and “reproductive rights” are to be prohibited. That’s the opposite of free speech.
Trump himself, following his debacle of a debate with Kamala Harris, suggested that the ABC television network should lose their broadcast license because he was unhappy with how he was treated by the debate moderators. Does that sound like Trump is in favor of free speech or a free press? No, it’s the exact opposite.
I’m voting for secure borders and LEGAL immigration. I am voting for election integrity to include mandatory voter ID. (Why would anyone vote against this?)
Earlier this year, members of Congress hammered out the toughest immigration bill in our nation’s history. It was a bipartisan bill that would have reduced the number of immigrants allowed into the country and would have added more border patrol agents to enforce the new limits. It was on the verge of being put up for a vote when Donald Trump instructed his fellow Republicans to kill it for fear that it would hurt his chances to win the election.
If immigration is such an important issue, how can Trump justify killing the bill to stem the tide of illegal immigrants entering our country? And if he cares more about himself than the safety of our country, why would you (or anyone) vote for him?
“I’m voting for election integrity?” Then why are you voting for Trump? He literally refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, is on tape trying to get the Secretary of State of Georgia to find more votes in his favor, and he was behind a scheme to submit fake electors so his vice-president could wrongly throw the election in his favor. Trump is the living embodiment of election fraud. No one can credibly claim they are in favor of election integrity and support Trump. The two are like oil and water.
Republicans like to push the idea of having to show ID in order to vote. I admit, I’m sympathetic to the idea. As the meme asks, why would anyone vote against this? Let me explain why.
It’s a trap. We’ve already seen in Alabama how this will work in red states. In preparation for the institution of voter ID laws, Alabama shut down dozens of DMV offices across the state, making it more difficult for people to obtain a state ID. In many cases, the closest DMV office for some Alabama citizens was two or three counties away. Not surprisingly, this impacted poor people–particularly people of color–in rural areas most drastically.
Calling for mandatory voter ID, by itself, is not a bad thing. But without a requirement for states to provide easy access to the required ID, it is just another form of voter suppression.
I’m voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family.
Let me turn this one around and ask, why does anyone believe Trump is going to defend a person’s right to defend their life and the lives of their family members better than Kamala Harris. Both Harris and Tim Walz are gun owners. Both have supported a person’s right to self-defense. It’s not like one candidate is calling for the confiscation of guns and the other is opposed to it. Both Trump and Harris believe that a person has the right to defend themselves.
The differences come in the margins. Harris wants common sense gun legislation, making it harder for people who shouldn’t have guns to get their hands on them, like the guy in West Palm Beach who wanted to kill Trump with an AK-47 rifle.. She wants universal background checks and mandatory gun registration. All of these proposals are widely supported by voters.
I’m voting for the police to be respected once again.
Respecting the police and voting for Trump do not go together. Trump allowed his supporters to attack police mercilessly on January 6, and he didn’t lift a finger to stop it. He refers to those that have been jailed for attacking police on January 6 “hostages” and “political prisoners,” and has promised to consider pardons for them, as if he doesn’t think they should be punished at all for what they did to police that day. When he talks about the January 6 insurrection, he talks about the police being “on the other side” from him and his supporters. Does that sound like respect for the police? If you want the police to be respected again, keep Donald Trump as far away from the White House as possible.
I am voting for law & order and an end to allowing protesters to trespass and burn our cities, destroying innocent small business. (Tim Walz)
“I am voting for law and order?” Donald Trump is literally a convicted felon. He’s an adjudicated rapist. In what world does that make him the “law and order” candidate?
Kamala Harris is a former prosecutor and was Attorney General (the highest law enforcement officer) of the largest state in the nation. Who the real “law and order” candidate is should be obvious.
It’s interesting to compare Tim Walz’s reaction to the riots in Minneapolis with Donald Trump’s reaction to the attack on the Capitol. Tim Walz called out the National Guard to quell the unrest. Donald Trump never asked the National Guard to intervene. Tim Walz probably waited too long before deploying the National Guard, but at least he did it. Donald Trump didn’t deploy them at all. Tim Walz condemned the violence and property damaged committed by rioters in Minneapolis. Donald Trump told rioters on January 6 that he loved them and that they were very special. So, tell me again, who let the situation get out of control?
I am voting for personal responsibility and the end of the revolving door where criminals are being put back on the street. (Kamala Harris)
I have trouble understanding this one. Criminals, unless sentenced to death or life in prison without parole, are always let back out onto the streets. Generally speaking, we don’t lock up criminals forever. The vast majority of people convicted of crimes and sentenced to prison eventually get out.
And it’s important to remember that judges and juries, not the district attorney or attorney general, sentence criminals to prisons. Judges and juries decide how long criminals should spend in prison. That’s not up to the district attorney or attorney general.
And I have to point out again, Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies and is awaiting sentencing. He’s facing dozens more indictments. Why would anyone trust him to strengthen our criminal justice system?
I’m voting for the next Supreme Court Justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Just a reminder that Trump has said at various times and in various ways that he does not want to be constrained by the Constitution. He may appoint federal judges that you like, but if you want to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (which are the first ten Amendments to the Constitution), Donald Trump is not the guy you should expect to do it for you.
I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts.
Another odd statement to make in support of Trump. During his Presidency, we were involved in combat in Afghanistan, and Trump threatened operations against North Korea and Iran. Currently, we are not involved in combat anywhere, and although we financially support Israel and Ukraine in their respective fights, we do not have any “boots on the ground.”
Considering Trump’s provocative nature and his animosity toward NATO and our allies, if you want to keep the United States out of foreign wars, you should also want to keep Trump out of the White House.
I’m voting for the Electoral College and for the Republic in which we live.
This is really not a partisan issue. The Electoral College is called for in the Constitution, and the only way to change it is to amend the Constitution. No one is calling for that or pushing for it. Neither Trump nor Harris are supporting such a Constitutional Amendment.
I’m voting for the continued appointment of Federal Judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Okay, meme, you’re starting to repeat yourself.
I’m voting for keeping our jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced all over the world – to China, Mexico and other foreign countries.
Trump was the first President since Herbert Hoover to see a net loss of jobs during his tenure, although manufacturing jobs grew during his Presidency by 3.4%. Even so, job growth under Biden has been higher, including manufacturing jobs, which have grown by 6.5%, significantly outpacing Trump’s performance.
The Biden Administration has also invested heavily in new factories, through the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, which has prioritized computer chip and semiconductor manufacturing on U.S. soil.
Of course, Kamala Harris is not Joe Biden, but her commitment to keeping and creating jobs in the United States is similar. Again, Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be the horse to back when it comes to keeping jobs in the United States.
I am voting for doing away with all of the freebies given to all of the illegals and not looking after the needs of the American citizens and homeless veterans.
This has always been a disingenuous argument. No American nor homeless veteran is doing without because money is being spent on illegal immigrants. It simply isn’t happening. Republicans like to paint illegals as the boogeyman, taking American jobs and preventing the government from taking care of our veterans. It’s not true. I’m not saying our homeless veterans aren’t being provided for. I’m saying it has nothing to do with illegal immigrants.
I’d like to know what all these “freebies” are the illegal immigrants are getting. You see, the claim is being made in such a way that it sounds like illegal immigrants are getting government handouts and living in luxury while veterans go homeless and hungry. That way, we can blame the immigrants for the poor living conditions of our veterans. But there’s little truth to either claim, and no connection between the treatment they each receive.
If Donald Trump is elected, he has vowed to round up illegals—primarily using local police to do the job—and deport them by the millions. In addition, he wants to build concentration camp-like facilities to house the illegals until they can be deported. What do you think all of this will cost? And if we’re spending so much money rounding up and deporting millions upon millions of illegal immigrants, will there be money for veterans? In fact, with our police busy rounding up illegals for the federal government, will they have the time and resources to serve and protect our communities?
I’m voting for the military & the veterans who fought for this country.
Donald Trump was an erratic Commander-in Chief who often disrespected our military members, calling them “suckers” and “losers,” and who instructed his chief of staff–a former four-star general–that he didn’t want to be seen with wounded veterans because it made him look bad. He traveled to Europe to commemorate D-Day, but then refused to go to the ceremony honoring our war dead because it was raining and ihe didn’t want to get his hair wet. He disparaged Sen. John McCain on several occasions, claiming McCain didn’t deserve to be called a hero despite being shot down over Vietnam and being held as a POW for several years. He verbally attacked a Gold Star family that spoke out against him at the Democratic National Convention in 2016. He called our military leaders “some of the dumbest people” he had ever met. He suggested that Gen. Mark Miley, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be tried and executed for treason because Miley was simply doing his job. He shot a campaign commercial at Arlington National Cemetery, where his staff verbally and physically assaulted an Army employee who tried to stop them, and he took a photo while standing over the graves of our war dead while giving a big thumbs up and smiling, like he was celebrating a victory of some sort.
I could go on, but I hope I’ve made my point. We have never had a President who held the members of the military in such low regard. Trump does not understand the concept of “service above self,” so he does not understand or respect the sacrifices made by our military. As his former military generals have stated, Donald Trump is a “disgrace” who is unfit to serve as our Commander-in-Chief.
I’m voting to keep men out of women’s sports.
This is not a real issue deserving of widespread attention. It impacts very few people, and it is not an issue that is being addressed by a presidential election. It may be red meat for the Republican base who focuses more on culture wars than actual policy issues, but it’s not something that is going to be decided as part of a presidential campaign.
I’m voting for peace progress in the Middle East.
And you think Donald Trump can provide peace progress in the Middle East? What in his history would suggest he could bring peace to the Middle East?
I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking.
Why would anyone view Donald Trump as the person to fight human and child sex trafficking? Did you see the photos of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein, one of America’s most infamous pedophiles and sex traffickers? Did you forget that Trump flew on Epstein’s plane at least seven different times? Have you heard about women who were recruited by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell who claim that Trump raped them? Why do you think Donald Trump is more likely to fight against human and child trafficking, although he’s never done it in the past, rather than Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor and Attorney General, who has fought human/child sex trafficking most of her career?
I’m voting for Freedom of Religion.
Boy, do I have news for you. Donald Trump has already started surrounding himself with Christian Nationalists, including his VP pick, JD Vance. These people want to turn the United States into a theocracy, run by Christian Nationalists, based on Christian ideology, and favoring Christians over believers of other religions or no religion at all. Does that sound like religious freedom to you?
In fact, if Christian Nationalism takes hold, it will be the end of religious freedom in the United States. It will be the end of separation of church and state. And it will be the end of our pluralistic, muti-racial, multi-faith democracy.
If you truly want religious freedom for everyone, you’ll want to keep Donald Trump away from the Oval Office.
I am voting for the return of teaching math, history, and science instead of the indoctrination of our children.
Just a reminder that it is Republicans, led by Donald Trump, who are changing the curriculum in our schools, doing away with actual history and replacing it with white-washed history, who are banning books, and limiting the subjects teachers can discuss with students. That’s true indoctrination.
I’m not just voting for one person.
I’m voting for the future of my Country.
I’m voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms.
It’s always a good idea when you’re making a claim that you can’t back up with facts or data, to invoke “the children” to make it clear that you are truly well-meaning. But considering what you just read, do you really think that Donald Trump is what’s best for our children?
Let me ask this another way. Who would you trust more to watch your kids while you’re gone, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?
Who would you rather your kids emulate, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?
For me, the answer is easy. In fact, Donald Trump is everything I raised my kids not to be. He is the perfect bad example that parents can point to and tell their kids, when you grow up, don’t be like him.
America is the greatest country in the world, hense why everyone wants to immigrate here. So why do you want to change it?
Why do politicians want to enact policies that have failed in other countries throughout history?
These are good questions? Read Project 2025 (or The Trump Campaign’s condensed version, “Agenda 47”) then tell me who really wants to change our country. Republicans have been clear that they are moving toward a Christian nationalist autocracy, where the President has nearly unlimited power, people loyal to the President (rather than the country) run the government, and the people who agree with the President are favored, while those who oppose him are punished.
I’m not voting for Trump.
I’m voting for America.
If it helps you to sleep at night to say you’re not voting for Trump, you’re voting for America, good luck. If you have to make excuses, tell lies, twist and spin the facts in order to justify your vote, you probably already know that Donald Trump is not fit by temperament or ability to serve again as President. And, if you have to make excuses, maybe you should just be honest and admit that voting for Trump is not in the best interest of our country or your family.
There are two candidates in this race, and only one of them is promising to support our democracy and defend our Constitution, even when it’s inconvenient. That person is Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump has not only promised to do the exact opposite. He has already started doing the exact opposite. He tried to overthrow a free and fair election, he led an insurrection, he stood in the way of the peaceful transfer of power. He is a menace and a threat. He is a convicted felon and an adjudicated rapist. He is dishonorable and a disgrace. Forty out of the forty-four cabinet members who worked for him during his Presidency say he is unfit for office. They know. They’ve seen him up close. For the sake of America, for the sake of your children and grandchildren, DO NOT vote for Donald Trump.
Copied and pasted, keep it going…
No, don’t Just don’t.
