Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Here.

Here is Kurt Schlichter's latest column.

Re: Aug. 15 article, “Kamala Harris’ flawed Social Security, Medicare attack on Donald Trump.”

Social Security and Medicare are financed through the payroll tax. The article quoted Trump, “If I’m victorious on Nov. 3, I plan to . . . make permanent cuts to the payroll tax.” The next day Kamala Harris said, “Trump just promised that if he wins reelection, he’ll gut Social Security and Medicare.” Harris’ statement is a reasonable interpretation of Trump’s promise.

The other possible interpretations would be that Trump was expecting Social Security and Medicare to be funded with other equal taxes on the same people a cut in name only; or with revenues from deficit spending (opposed by his fellow Republicans); or by a higher tax on the wealthy and/or on capital gains, also opposed by his fellow Republicans.

Either Trump’s promise was hollow or it was perfectly reasonable to make Harris’ conclusion. I cannot imagine that our president would be making a hollow promise.

Steven Davidson, Georgetown

Note from KBJ: Why don't you put the worst possible spin on what President Trump said, Steven? You idiot.

Donald Trump's approval rating is 51%. Barack Obama's approval rating at the same point of his presidency (20 August 2012) was 49%.

Interesting historical fact. Make of it what you will.

Since 1952, there have been eight elected presidents who ran for re-election: Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, G. H. W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush, and Obama. Six of them (all but Carter and the first Bush) were re-elected. That suggests that the odds are three to one (66.6%) that Donald Trump (elected in 2016) will be re-elected in 2020.

Breaking things down by party, Democrats are 2-1 in re-election and Republicans 4-1. That suggests that the odds are four to one (80%) that Donald Trump, a Republican, will be re-elected in 2020.

Note: Gerald Ford served as president, but he was not elected. What I'm searching for are cases in which the American people said "yes" to a person the first time and "no" the second time. The American people never said "yes" to Gerald Ford.

THANK YOU! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/kgLSsAgZmR

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Here.

Here.

To the editor:

Come on folks, give Trump a break. The reason that our lie-prone president believes Harris was not born in the United States is no doubt a result of his belief that California is not part of his America.

Michael Schneider, Laguna Beach

Note from KBJ: Nobody—including President Trump—doubts that Kamala Harris was born in the United States. The question is about her eligibility to be vice president. Answering that question requires legal research. Have you done any?