Readers’ comments: November 14, 2025

The Bard strikes again
Dear editor:
Regarding California’s Proposition 50, Shakespeare would say: “The villainy you teach me I will execute.”
Opanyi Nasiali 

Dissecting ‘No Kings’ day
Dear editor:
Let’s talk about this “No Kings” day crap. I think I am a practical man. I acknowledge that Trump has said some stupid stuff and done some stupid things; but really, why do so many people believe Trump would give up being the president of the United States, the most powerful country in the world, to become a king?
Ever since King John of England signed the Magna Carta in 1215 and King George lost the American colonies, the king (and queen) of England have become figureheads with little or no power. The last king to rule France was Louis XVI in 1789, shortly after our revolution.
According to my sources, there are 10 European countries having kings as rulers. They are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, Netherland, and Belgium. Who really believes Trump wants to be compared to them? Many Americans probably can’t even find them on a map. You may think Trump is delusional, but not that much!
Or maybe I got this all wrong. Maybe the thousands of people marching down the highways and byways of America were really saying, “We like you as president. Please don’t lower yourself and become a king.”
David Stedman
Claremont

Are Claremont’s maps gerrymandered?
Dear editor:
Legislative districts and possible redistricting are very much in the news. This designing districts for partisan advantage has a long history and has been called gerrymandering.
Ideally, legislative districts should be compact and contiguous. In practice, some very strange districts have resulted.
Consider the City Council districts in our town, Claremont. District 1 contains a large area north of Base Line Road, and at Indian Hill Boulevard moves south in a narrow tail to extend to Arrow Highway. When officials at city hall are asked about the strange shape of the council district, the reply is that the council districts were designed by a citizens’ group. My view is that the district is bad and should be changed, no matter who devised it.
I believe the responsible and well-educated citizens of Claremont can produce a better City Council district than the present district 1.
Hal Durian
Claremont

The people have spoken: Trump is unpopular
Dear editor:
The November 4 elections sent a message to Republicans, especially MAGA, that Nazi Trumpism is not welcomed in the U.S. Democrats swept the board “bigly,” as Trump would say. The governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the mayoral race in New York, and of course the landslide victory here in California of Prop 50 all went for the Democrats. These results are proof that the voters are rejecting Trump’s brand of chaos, grievance and cruelty.
Trump and the Republican party are increasingly out of touch with the American people. The A CNN poll conducted October 27-30 shows 63% of America disapproves of Trump’s job as president and 56% believe Trump has hurt America’s standing in the world. Similarly, an ABC/Washington Post poll conducted October 24-28 shows 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, 59% disapprove of his handling of foreign relations, 60% disapprove of his handling of the Ukraine war, 62% disapprove of his handling of the economy, 65% disapprove of his handling of tariffs, etc. Trump and Republicans claim there is no money for the social safety net or education, but they have $20 to $40 billion to give to Venezuela? Trump has destroyed the rose garden, demolished the east wing of the White House and just hosted a lavish party at mara loco for his billionaire donors. A real man of the people that guy. And don’t get me started on the pardons he has given out, his family involvement with crypto, or the Epstein case.
Mid-terms are next and I believe Americans will overwhelmingly elect Democrats to put guard rails around our democracy and just maybe hold Trump accountable for what he has done. America will never be led by an oligarch; we’ll leave that misfortune to the Russians.
Sydney Pollard
Claremont