Thinking of sending this to the local paper. This is my third version. Now I know why writers drink.

Dear Editor,

President Trump fancies himself to be a tough, security-minded leader. He is neither, and his words and policies make America a more dangerous place.

He recently stated, “ I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough — until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. “

Make no mistake, this is a thinly veiled threat to violence. What exactly does the president mean by “a certain point“? Would that occur in the aftermath of the Mueller report or perhaps the 2020 election results?

And how dare the president attempt to co-opt our law enforcement and military! This comes from a man who has a long history of breaking laws, large and small, a man who disparages our prisoners-of-war, and our generals. Our president once boasted that avoiding STDs was his own personal Vietnam yet he can cruelly and casually tweet that our transgender troops aren’t worthy to serve!

The president’s notion of what constitutes “toughness” is perverse and narrow. Toughness is seen when the children of addicts trudge off to school each day, when grandparents raise their grandchildren, when our city's ELL teachers toil resolutely to meet the needs of their enormous caseloads. It is embodied in children with disabilities and their parents. It is visible in the herculean efforts of families fleeing the violence of Central America and in journalists the world over who doggedly seek the truth, and sometimes pay with their lives. Toughness is of course a prerequisite for our military and law enforcement members and their families. Toughness is what tens of millions Americans demonstrate when they head off to work each day. Our president knows nothing of this strength of character.

An administration’s budget is a statement of its values. President Trump seeks a 5% increase in defense spending for 2020 while reducing Medicare expenditures by a comparable percentage. National security is an enormous concern, but our president has a dangerously narrow and shortsighted view of what constitutes security for our citizens.

Real security must include a strong social safety net. It requires robust environmental and consumer protection regulations and access to decent, affordable healthcare. Genuine security extends to economics as we face potentially enormous job losses due to AI and automation. It demands prudently tackling the ever- increasing national debt (22 trillion) and unfunded liabilities (122 trillion). Real security bolsters our longstanding alliances and defends us from despots and countries that mean us harm. It values science and recognizes the existential threat posed by climate change. Real security means strengthening the institutions that defend our constitution. Our president has failed to defend America in innumerable ways and on countless fronts.

Our nation deserves a leader, not a macho, blustering Commander-in-Chief.