To the editor:

How could the German people have allowed Adolf Hitler to take absolute power and commit monstrous acts? Hitler did it gradually, so people did not realize the terrible ultimate results until it was too late. Trump is following the same playbook.

Hitler blamed all problems on the Jews. Trump blames immigrants and DEI, basically most minority groups. Hitler armed the Storm Troopers, a paramilitary group that terrorized Nazi opponents on the streets. Trump pardoned hundreds of people who violently assaulted police officers, so these people are now out on the streets ready to terrorize Trump opponents. The few public officials brave enough to speak out against Trump often receive death threats.

Hitler annexed neighboring Austria and parts of neighboring Czechoslovakia, and formed an alliance with Russia’s brutal dictator Joseph Stalin to carve up Poland between them. Trump said he wants to annex neighboring Canada (as well as Greenland, the Panama Canal and Gaza) and has allied with murderous Russian dictator Putin to carve up Ukraine’s land and minerals.

Hitler removed numerous government and military officials and replaced them with Nazi loyalists. Trump is replacing government and military officials with Trump loyalists and said: “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had.” Hitler suppressed the opposition press. Trump is harassing the press in many ways and threatens to take away funding from NPR and PBS.

It can’t happen here? It IS happening now. We must relentlessly call our senators and congressmen and demand they stop Trump’s power grab before it’s too late.

Tad Kramar,

Lecompton