“First 100 days”

Monterey Herald—May 3, 2025

Cari Leubsdorf’s commentary, “Trump’s first 100 days have been eventful, terrifying,” was uninspiring. She condemned Trump’s actions for increasing “unauthorized presidential power,” while championing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s coercive legislation and failing to mention that much of FDR’s legislation was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

More than that, FDR’s policies were authoritarian. He sent his brain trust adviser, Rexford Guy, to fascist Italy. Guy was very impressed with Mussolini’s corporate fascism, calling it “the cleanest, neatest, most efficiently operating piece of social machinery I’ve ever seen.” Guy brought back books by Giovanni Gentile, the philosopher of fascism and encouraged FDR’s staff to emulate fascist economics. FDR did precisely that with the National Recovery Act (NRA), which promoted cartels, monopolies, government interventionism, price controls, and socialistic programs. FDR even outlawed individual ownership of gold.

The Trump people are not increasing government power; they are trying to dismantle it. They are purposedly “crippling government” to keep the state from morphing into a monster with unlimited power. I believe this was the primary purpose of the American Revolution! Someone should explain this to Democrats

— Lawrence Samuels, Carmel