We Americans can appreciate what our standing has been in the world. A superpower that worked to keep our friends close and anti-democratic nations at an arm’s length.

We have worked hard to minimize and reduce our enemies and focus on what was good to extend democracy in the world and keep it strong. To be honest, at times we have done it better than other times, but we have always persisted in being leaders in the world.

And to that end President Trump just got rid of it.

We were right when we stood against Russian exploitation of another sovereign nation. We were right to not be besides an internationally known war criminal called Vladimir Putin. We were right to stand by our friends against the tyranny of it all.

And now Trump has sold our soul to Russia. I’m not sure with what Trump is beholden to Putin, but one can be assured it is in his best interest, and not our nation’s.

What a blow to our soul. We have been bought by Putin. We have not made America great. We are now a shell of ourselves in the world.

Trump does not speak to our true values other than his, Elon Musk’s, Vice President JD Vance’s and the present Republican Party.

So what do we do now? Protest, write letters, meet senators and representatives. The wave is starting, so we must not be complacent. We must activate ourselves to do something we are comfortable with.

Jackie Fournier, Mt. Vernon