Government accountability vital in the age of Donald Trump

Ed Dornlas’s letter, “Donald Trump scrutiny is way over the top,” illustrates the double standard displayed among conservative supporters of President Trump.

The “Democrats and the liberal commentators” whom Mr. Dornlas says complain too often about President Trump were easily matched in intensity by the Republican and conservative commentators who criticized President Obama’s every move. This is despite the fact that President Obama was never under an independent criminal investigation initiated by one of his own appointees that could implicate him in acts of treason and obstruction of justice.

My biggest problem with Mr. Dornlas’s letter, though, is its lack of concern for government accountability. Despite conservatives’ constant fear of “big government” abusing its power, they seem happy to trust a Republican-led government to do whatever it wants.

Mr. Dornlas’ comparison of the president of the United States to a contractor is frightening. The American people cannot give any government official their complete trust to conduct his work “in a professional manner” like one might with a contractor. At worst, a bad contractor could damage a person’s property, ruining his contracting business after word spreads of his failures. At worst, a president can permanently damage our nation’s democratic system, violate the rights of the American people, create widespread economic struggle, destabilize tense regions abroad, and allow the destruction of our surroundings and natural resources. President Trump may not cause harm in all of these ways, but he’s well on his way to a few of them.

Criticism, media coverage and protest are integral to holding officials accountable for their decisions. The First Amendment was instituted because the nation’s founders knew the importance of this to the maintenance of a democracy. Until President Trump leaves the office of president, his actions must be scrutinized.