President-elect Donald Trump and his family stand on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
“PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: You are about to take the most serious oath of office anyone has the privilege to take. You were not my choice, but I support and respect the office.” Those are the heartfelt words of Kit Keane, 66, of Chicago, one of many who responded when we asked readers to share their hopes and advice for incoming president Donald Trump.
The inauguration of a president is always, on one level, a political event: One party has triumphed, the other has been vanquished. It also is something more than a political event: the celebration of a constitutional democracy in which power changes hands peacefully, at the command of the people.
This year, even more than most, many of the vanquished are in no mood to celebrate. Scores of Democratic members of Congress will boycott the ceremony at the Capitol. Thousands of Americans are assembling in Washington to welcome a Trump administration, but thousands also are coming to protest. Some of the latter question the very legitimacy of Mr. Trump’s ascension.
Mr. Trump’s record positions him poorly to rebut that challenge. He led a movement that questioned the legitimacy of his predecessor. He questioned the legitimacy of his opponent (“crooked”) and of American democracy (“rigged”). His victory was aided by Russian interference that he openly invited. He was trounced in the popular vote, and during the transition he spent more energy taunting opponents than living up to his election-night pledge to unify the country. Nor, as Politico’s Michael Crowley reminds us, was Mr. Trump preaching unity after Mr. Obama’s reelection in 2012: “We can’t let this happen,” Mr. Trump tweeted then. “We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!”
Nonetheless, after noon Friday he will be the legitimate president of the United States. Like Ms. Keane, we opposed Mr. Trump’s election, but also like her, we support and respect the office. We hope that henceforth — not just in his inaugural address, but in the conduct of his administration — Mr. Trump reaches out to opponents as well as supporters. But even if he does not, he will have been lawfully chosen by the electoral college.
Respect for that result does not imply deference to misguided policies or appointments. Those who choose to protest on Saturday embody cherished constitutional values no less than those who celebrate the peaceful transfer of power on Friday. Recognizing Mr. Trump’s election does not mean turning a blind eye to Russian interference, voter suppression or other electoral shortcomings.
Indeed, American democracy has always rested on our willingness to acknowledge its failings and commit to its improvement. The best rebuke to Russian interference would be to investigate fearlessly and prevent a recurrence — to demonstrate that democracy, far more than Russian-style kleptocracy, is capable of self-repair. The right response to Mr. Trump is to respect the office while hoping that its occupant works to earn respect in his own right.
“I intend on giving you a chance,” wrote another of our readers, Judith Klepperich, 72, of Mendota Heights, Minn. “I will not give you a pass on bad behavior. God bless you in your work and God bless this nation.”
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