Letter from deep-red Arkansas tears apart pro-Trump 'patriotism'

Arkansas voters haven’t elected a Democratic governor in over a decade. Same with its two U.S. senators. And with all four of its U.S. representatives. Donald Trump won the state in the 2024 presidential election with nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the vote — even more than he took in 2020. For more than a decade, Republicans have controlled both chambers in the state legislature — now with a veto-proof supermajority. And as of the 2024 election, more than eight out of 10 Arkansans live in solid Republican counties.

So perhaps it’s surprising to see an anti-Trump letter to the editor in one of the state’s top newspapers.

“Is that patriotism?” asks Doug Barber in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the state’s paper of record.

“I recently read an article that stated Republicans are more patriotic than Democrats or independents. I question that assertion,” Barber argues.

“How can someone claim they are patriotic when they support a president who regularly ignores the U.S. Constitution?” he asks. “For example, in 2021, Donald Trump did everything in his power to prevent the duly elected president from taking office.”

“Under the Trump administration, freedom of the press and freedom of speech is only as long as you aren’t too critical of the president (CBS News is an example),” Barber continues. “How about the separation of powers? Trump tried to appoint his Cabinet without the approval of Congress. He threatens judges who decide against him with impeachment. He regularly uses executive orders to bypass Congress and impose his will.”

Barber scorches Trump’s pardons of January 6 rioters.

“And let’s not forget how he treats protesters,” he posits. “If you violently protest for Trump, you get pardoned and possibly get financially rewarded (if Trump gets his way). If you protest against the president, you get harsh sentences (see Minnesota) or perhaps even killed.”

“If supporting this kind of president is what it takes to be patriotic,” Barber concludes, “count me out.”