Judith Nelson Farrin’s letter to the editor (“Tired of newspaper leaning to the left,” July 4) applauds President Trump “for bringing peace, prosperity and harmony.” We wonder where a citizen finds peace, prosperity and harmony in Trump’s U.S.

These are the facts:

Regarding peace: Trump promised peace in Ukraine “within 24 hours” of assuming office. Instead, the war rages, while his support for Ukraine has been unpredictable and unreliable. Despite campaigning as an “America first,” non-interventionist president, he ordered the June 22 bombing of Iranian nuclear sites — even as military analysts questioned the permanence of the damage, and the likelihood of actual risk to the U.S. from Iran.

Domestically, he has militarized American streets: federalizing the National Guard, deploying Marines during ICE raids in major cities and sending legal immigrants to dangerous foreign prisons and violent countries, without regard for their safety, or due process. He has called protesters exercising their First Amendment rights “thugs” and “mobs.”

The limited violence at protests is amplified by certain news channels, but such violence had been limited and localized, with local officials said they could contain it. On Jan. 20, he pardoned 1,500 unlawful Jan. 6 rioters. He uses violent rhetoric, calling dissenters “vermin,” while encouraging further violence by calling his supporters “courageous warriors standing in the way of what they (non-MAGAs) want to do.” He urged supporters to “knock the crap out of” his critics — and promised to pay for the legal fees of those who did. Are these peaceful actions?

Regarding prosperity: Who prospers? Clearly, Trump and his inner circle. He has pocketed hundreds of millions through real-estate deals and crypto ventures since retaking office. His tariffs will raise prices. Trump has continued to promise prosperity and a “Golden Age,” but has also walked back some campaign promises, such as quickly lowering grocery prices, admitting “it’s hard to bring things down once they’re up.”

Meanwhile, his “One Big, Beautiful Bill” is truly Robin Hood in reverse, enshrining tax cuts favoring corporations and the wealthy, while slashing benefits for the poor. Trump promised those who rely on Medicaid that their health benefits would not be touched. But it was not only touched, it was torched, along with SNAP benefits. Mainers who rely on Medicaid or expanded Medicaid subsidies will lose health care because of significant new bureaucratic hurdles. This does not fix any elusive waste, fraud and abuse that DOGE could not find.

He has also cut off or threatened funding for various programs in Maine, because our governor followed the rule of law when he pressed her to act contrary to Maine’s constitution. This is prosperity for the powerful and wealthy, not the average Maine citizen.

Regarding harmony: President Trump provides no harmony here or abroad. His DOJ is filing criminal inquiries against Democratic groups like ActBlue and prosecuting political opponents. This is not just tit-for-tat. It is revenge litigation, which Trump has engaged in aggressively throughout his life as a real estate developer. His inflammatory rhetoric abounds: refugees are called an “invasion,” peaceful protesters are labeled “insurrectionists.” A supposed president for all Americans, he repeatedly and disrespectfully refers to his political opponents as the “radical left lunatics.” There is no harmony to be found in these actions.

Trump’s second-term agenda is not about peace, prosperity and harmony. It is about power, revenge, self-enrichment and chaos.

The Trump administration sucks the air out of the room daily. “Flood the zone,” they call it, as if that is a good thing. We are sick of hearing of the chaos this administration is causing. Like most Americans, we just want to live our lives, in real, not imagined, peace, prosperity and harmony.

Facts, unlike partisan spin, are not right or left; good reporting must present verifiable facts and expose the spin, to create an informed citizenry. We applaud this paper’s efforts to do so.