Trump shows how many Americans are racist. Even when they don't think they are. | Your Turn

I feel awful after the first month of President Donald Trump's second term. I expected it to be bad, but it is even worse than expected. He is an arrogant person and is a hypocrite toward the rule of law and thinks only of himself and his fake billionaire friends who are playing him to protect their own wealth. Elon Musk is even worse and should be prosecuted criminally if laws are being broken. The world is laughing, and Trump's initial foreign policies do not make us safer.

Soon we will see scarcer farm labor and construction labor. Food costs have not gone down, as Trump promised they would. Of course, those of us who know how markets work knew that this was a lie to begin with. His immigration policies are disgraceful. Of course serious criminals should be deported. Trump blew up a potential border deal last year so he could make a campaign issue out of it. His supporters have been terribly misinformed, and many are outright racists.

It is now easy to see how Nazi Germany became what it became, because the people in power, the corporations, the media and other wealthy people are following Trump and afraid to go against him.

Opinion Forum:Trump's first month has been devastating. And people voted for all of this. | Your Turn

I would like Trump to focus on keeping the world and our country safer and stopping the ridiculous manner in which the Department of Government Efficiency nonsense is being implemented. He is messing with people's lives, and I don't know why anyone would work for him or Musk.

The country is going backward in terms of civil rights, women's issues and equality for all. His "America first" mantra should be called "white Americans first" because that is what it is. The fact that he pardoned some of the Jan. 6 participants is understandable. The fact that he pardoned those who committed violence is unacceptable. Anyone in law enforcement who supports him are in the wrong occupation.

For the immediate future, I will not buy anything that is not necessary. I will do that to send the message to the out-of-control large corporations and to the disgraceful president that supply and demand should lead how they treat our citizens and residents when it comes to the national economy. Hardworking people who want to be a part of this country are not the enemy. The social safety net should be improved, not reduced.

The only people who will benefit from his policies are himself, his family and his wealthy fake friends.

In terms of foreign policy, his Gaza plan is insane. And removing our connections around the world will have negative repercussions for decades to come.

I never thought I would see such chaos caused by an arrogant, petty man-child and it is sad that this country reelected him. It demonstrates that, sadly, a large segment of our residents are racist and white supremacist. Even when most don't think they are, in fact by definition, they are racist.

— Warren Spaid, Sabillasville, Maryland