I was born in the United States over 70 years ago. Since then, our country has had its ups and downs.
We successfully landed humans on the moon and eliminated the stain of the Jim Crow South, if not entirely all of its historical legacy. We suffered through the pain of a lost war in Vietnam and the urban riots of the 1960s.
We rallied after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. We built an economy second to none and the envy of people everywhere. Since World War II, the United States has been the undisputed leader of the free world.
During most of my life, and even during the worst of times, I have been proud to be an American and proud of our country’s positive role in the world.
But in the last four years, I have twice been embarrassed and ashamed to be an American. My first embarrassment occurred on January 6, 2021, when President Donald Trump unleashed a mob on the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
The second occasion was Friday, February 28, 2025, when President Trump berated and bullied the leader of a small, fledgling democracy which had been invaded by its larger neighbor. If you are seeing a pattern here, so do I.
Since he won the 2024 election, President Trump has threatened many of our friends and allies while simultaneously cozying up to some of our enemies.
“Canada will be the 51st state.”
“Panama – Give us back the canal or else.”
“Denmark – Hand over Greenland.”
But the absolute worse is his treatment of Ukraine.
Has the president forgotten that in 1994 the United States gave Ukraine security guarantees in return for Ukraine giving up the nuclear weapons in its possession?
Has the president forgotten that in 2014 Russia’s Putin invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea?
Has the president forgotten that three years ago, Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine which to date has only been partially repulsed by brave Ukrainian soldiers with the material assistance of the United States and NATO allies?
Apparently, the only thing President Trump hasn’t forgotten is that President Zelensky didn’t launch an investigation of the Biden family when President Trump demanded it in 2019.
Make no mistake. The United States needs friends and allies. We cannot go it alone. What do our allies think when our president refers to President Zelensky as a “dictator” who “shouldn’t have started” the war? What do they think when the United States sides with Russia, China and North Korea in the United Nations to vote against a resolution recognizing that Russia invaded Ukraine, not the other way around?
What are they to think when the United States demands that Ukraine hand over 50% of its mineral wealth without any guarantee of Ukraine’s future sovereignty? Is the “leader” of the free world just the head of a mob-like protection racket?
Some defenders of President Trump suggest that he refuses to criticize Russia’s aggression so he can act as an honest peace broker between Russia and Ukraine. I ask you this: If you were suing someone in court for assaulting you, and the judge came into the courtroom, started berating you, stated the assault was really your fault, and that you needed to donate to his re-election campaign before the case proceeded, would you consider that judge to be an honest broker? I know I would not.
What President Trump has done is dishonorable. It’s not “MAGA.” It’s “MAD” – Make America Dishonorable. My fellow voters: Call, write or email your elected representatives and demand that the United States stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression so our country will remain the leader of the free world. Let’s end our national shame.
Charles Gorder lives in Tigard. He is a retired federal prosecutor and specialized in prosecuting national security cases such as international terrorism and illegal exports to China and Iran during the last 20 years of his career.