Sadistic meme should prompt impeachment proceedings

In a move that should have started immediate impeachment proceedings, President Trump, on Sept. 6, on his Truth Social, threatened the city of Chicago with war in a sadistic meme taken from "Apocalypse Now," a film about the Vietnam War.

In this despicable meme, titled Chipocalypse Now, an AI image of Trump in military gear says “I love the smell of deportations in the morning…” Just to add even more menace, there are “three helicopters emojis, symbols the right wing uses to represent former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s goons disappearing political opponents by pushing them out of helicopters,” according to historian Heather Cox Richardson.

This is beyond reprehensible. I don’t have words for how vile this is. Ironically, the Vietnam War is the same war in which Mr. Trump avoided the draft by receiving five deferments. Have the American people had enough deranged behavior from this president? He swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and yet he is actively trashing it on a daily basis.

He is being assisted in this effort by the Republicans in Congress who do not stand up to him, and sadly, that includes Alaska’s Congressional delegation. Mr. Trump is threatening us, the American people, by using the military to occupy our cities. If he really wanted to fight crime, he wouldn’t cut funds for policing and for anti-violence programs. Many believe these military occupations are an attempt to control the 2026 elections. This is the behavior of an authoritarian trying to consolidate power. This meme is abnormal behavior, it is insane behavior, and no one can claim otherwise. Speak out and defend democracy. Do not be silent. 

Bridget Smith

Juneau