Members of the U.S. Congress on both sides of the aisle need to stand in opposition to what is going on. They are allowing a would-be dictator to run over their power of the purse and the entire legislative process. This will solidify the belief that a president can do anything he or she pleases without checks and balances or retribution.

Every voter in the U.S. should be appalled at these actions. Sadly, we voters are mired in race issues and issues that are singular in concern to us as individuals and we are missing the big picture … democracy is being destroyed.

David Greenwood

Farmington Hills

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More from Freep Opinion:Who’s the target of Trump’s disdain? Often, it’s women.

Trump’s policies are bad news for Michigan

In her rebuttal to the president, Michigan U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said that the Trump’s policy will “make you pay.”

Here in Michigan, we’ll pay in so many ways. The auto industry will be crippled by tariffs, leading to a ripple effect throughout our state economy. The cuts to scientific research will cause long-term harm to our universities. Seniors and veterans will suffer because of employee firings at the Ann Arbor and Detroit VA facilities. Our environment and tourism industry will be irreparably harmed due to a drastic reduction in employees at Sleeping Bear Dunes and in the program controlling invasive sea lampreys in the Great Lakes.

Simply put, Trump is bad news for Michigan. If you care about our great state, it’s time for you to speak out about these policies … before it’s too late.

Lynn Baldwin

Ann Arbor

More from Freep Opinion:Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada will wreck Michigan economy

Trump’s words don’t match his actions

When President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday night, he said children’s cancer rates are on the rise. He said he wants to “get poisons out of our food supply.” What he says to the nation and what he actually does are two very different things. In 2017, the Trump Administration reversed President Barack Obama’s proposed ban of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide than can hinder the development of children’s brains.

Jennifer Hawkins

Royal Oak

I hope someone proves me wrong

I really wish I could believe that President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin want world peace, but a country is only as good as its word.

With the Budapest Memorandum, Russia gave its word that it would not attack Ukraine, but under Putin it has several times over, to the point of starting an ongoing war. Likewise, our own U.S. gave its word it would defend Ukraine, and for years did, but now under Trump we’re withholding assistance to blackmail Ukraine into signing over their rare earths, with no promise that the USA, like Russia, won’t violate this second agreement just like they did the first.

This is not a quest for world peace by any measure; it’s extortion and insanity on an international level.

Ukraine has already demonstrated they want world peace by literally giving up their nuclear arsenal, and now two out of three world powers that said they would uphold agreements to respect and defend Ukraine’s borders have defaulted on them to the detriment of us all.

This is not the country I was proud to grow up in.

Please, please someone prove me wrong.

Dave Renwick

Wolverine Lake 

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This story has been updated with an additional letter.