Letters to the Editor: Presidents need to do three essential things. Trump doesn’t do any of them

To the editor: Jonah Goldberg’s column on President Trump’s character got me thinking about leadership and the American presidency.

First, as Goldberg mentions, it would be leading with authentic power for a president to be a servant, in the sense that he should work for and govern on behalf of the people and struggle to represent every single American. Does Trump do this?

Second, one of the president’s main jobs is to invite various government experts to provide advice and recommendations based on their years of experience and knowledge. Does Trump do this?

Third, it makes a lot of sense for a president to surround himself with independent thinkers and even political adversaries, in order to cultivate fresh perspectives on governing and policy. Does Trump do this?

Stanford Searl, Culver City

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To the editor: Goldberg is right to say Trump is unteachable because he feels like he already knows everything. I agree that if Trump had displayed one ounce of humility by apologizing for his “mistake” in the Ukraine fiasco, he would not have been impeached.

He states, “Republicans must now further deform their character to accommodate his and scramble to protect themselves from the truth at his impeachment trial.”

Deform their character? What character?

People with good character do not pretend lies are truth, tolerate proud ignorance or become neutral bystanders to the destruction around them. They do not allow themselves or others to be bullied by someone pretending to be a qualified leader.

Mary Franklin, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: When I read Goldberg’s column, my first thought was, “When you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.”

Ann C. Hayman, Westwood