Opinion: Trump is more extreme than ever. He cannot be president again.

In this op-ed, Zach Boguslawski, a veteran of the United States Navy and a Michigan resident, shares his concern over Donald Trump’s actions on January 6 and his growing extremism.

As a 20-year Navy veteran, I’ve dedicated my life to upholding the principles and values that all Americans believe in. I never expected to see a commander-in-chief abandon those values and fail to honor his oath of office — an oath of office very similar to the one I took on multiple occasions. 

On January 6, I watched in horror as then-President Trump not only failed to honor his oath but actively undermined the very fabric of our democracy. That day, Trump betrayed his commitment to protecting and defending the U.S. Constitution.

The violent and fatal insurrection incited by Trump’s behavior was nothing short of a dereliction of his duties as president. The oath every president takes is a solemn pledge to uphold the Constitution and to serve the American people with integrity. Trump’s conduct after the 2020 election showed a flagrant disregard for his oath and the traditions of American democracy, as well as cementing his legacy as the only president in American history not to execute a peaceful transfer of power.

For weeks, he promoted inflammatory rhetoric and baseless claims about a stolen election that enraged his supporters. Trump used any platform available to spread his lies and egged on his supporters to make life miserable for election officials across the country. Trump stood by his falsehoods throughout, doubling down on his lies at every turn, even to this very day.

On January 6, as his supporters fought law enforcement — the same law enforcement personnel they claimed to be supportive of on January 5th — broke into the US Capitol, and ransacked offices, Trump watched on television for hours even as deadly gunshots rang out in the halls of Congress. His willingness to let the chaos unfold, rather than using his position to restore order and uphold the law, demonstrated a disturbing level of self-interest over the good of the American people.

Since that day, I believe Trump has only become more extreme. His rhetoric and actions now suggest a willingness to seek retribution and go even further to undermine our democratic norms. He’s said he wants to be a dictator on day one, suggested ignoring unfavorable decisions from the courts, and said he wants to weaponize the justice system against his political rivals. He even hinted at never needing to vote again at a recent rally of supporters — throwing additional fuel on the fire that a tyrannical act of injustice could be in our future. His radical rhetoric and desire to flout established rules and regulations aren’t just a continuation of the dangerous path he began walking in the weeks after the 2020 election — it’s an escalation.

The prospect of Trump securing a second term in office is deeply troubling. As someone who served this country and took an oath similar to that of Donald Trump, it was important to share my story with American Bridge 21st Century and voters here in Michigan about how alarmed I was to see Trump completely violate his oath and be nominated as the Republican nominee for president. 

Nothing Trump has done in the last three years shows any remorse for his actions on January 6. He’s only shown a blatant disregard for the principles of democracy and an increasing readiness to dismantle the constitutional safeguards that have long protected our nation. The presidency demands a commitment to the rule of law and a dedication to the common good—qualities Trump has repeatedly demonstrated he lacks. To wit, he continues to show a ghastly lack of character or ethical foundation that places the American people, the Constitution, or any democratic principle above his own personal gains. 

Our country cannot afford to gamble with its future by allowing someone with such a record of extremism and disregard for the Constitution to return to the highest office in the land. The lessons of January 6 should be a stern reminder of the risks involved, and the poisonous vitriol used by the former president since then does nothing to indicate any intentions of moving our country forward.

We can never forget the fear and chaos unleashed that day on the country by Donald Trump. We can never go back to those dark days. We must beat Donald Trump not only in November, but permanently.

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