I fully agree with Maryon Attwood’s view, published on Oct. 7, that the Washington Republican party has been taken over by Donald Trump.

Learning from four years of the Trump presidency, and considering a few of the historic figures in the history of the Republican Party, it is obvious that Mr. Trump is not a Republican, but rather an opportunistic demagogue who embodies the Trump Party. This is confirmed by the published Republican platform for the 2020 election:

- continued support for the Trump “America-first agenda.”

- the adoption of no new platform until 2024.

In the 1790s, Thomas Jefferson, in opposition to a drift to a more centralized form of government, advocated by Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist party, formed the Democrat-Republican party. It emphasized faith in the will and vote of the people.

The first Republican president was Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He and his party were against slavery, and for the upward social and economic mobility of all citizens. In addition to preserving the Union, working with his party he sought national expansion and economic growth to decrease the gap between rich and poor.

Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency in 1901 when Republican president McKinley was assassinated. He viewed his position as a “steward of the people.” His motto was a “square deal” for the people.

Dwight D. Eisenhower served as a moderate Republican president from 1952 until 1961. As a retired five star general he considered himself to be a balance between liberals and conservatives. He was opposed to the aggrandizement of power in the White House, in government and in segments of our economy. Because of this executive restraint, he was dubbed the “do nothing president.” Following his wartime history of leading the allied forces in Europe, however, his true measure as president is that he was a great, unifying national leader who respected the checks and balancing safeguards of our Constitution.

Donald Trump is in no way representative of the ideals and policies of the Republican Party. A real two-party system, representative of differing viewpoints, is a fundamental safeguard together with the respect for and adherence to the checks and balances in our form of government by the people.

Buz Humphrey

Anacortes