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When I asked subscribers to my From the Editor text messages what they thought of President Donald Trump’s video showing himself crowned and dumping excrement on protesters, more than 500 people responded within hours. Most could not believe a U.S. president would be so revolting. For readers new to these texts: each weekday I send more than 3,400 subscribers short messages about stories our newsroom is working on or questions we hope to answer. The replies often give us a raw sense of public sentiment in Northeast Ohio. You can subscribe for free at joinsubtext.com/chrisquinn. Here is what readers said, grouped into five broad themes. Quotes appear exactly as written, with identifying details removed. Shame and sadness for the country The most common feeling was sorrow — not just for the presidency but for the nation itself. “I used to be proud to be from the United States. Now we would prefer to be just one of the crowd. Trump and his administration are an embarrassment.” “Imagine if a teacher made a video humiliating students. They’d be fired instantly. Yet we tolerate this from the leader of the free world.” A retired teacher said she used to show inaugurations to fifth-graders to teach civics. “What young people hear now allows them to assume it must be acceptable to speak with sarcasm and rudeness about important issues.” Others described a collapse of dignity: “At no other time in history has the presidency been reduced to feces videos. It’s a complete disgrace.” Alarm over authoritarian drift Many readers went beyond disgust to describe the video as part of a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior. A historian who studied the Holocaust wrote, “One only has to imagine whose playbook he’s following, but it isn’t those who fought for democracy. He’s sending in troops where they’re not wanted, dismantling the separation of powers, controlling books and education. What more are we going to let him do?” Another said, “He’s dividing America on purpose — dumping on citizens who disagree with him. That’s what dictators do.” Several voiced personal unease: “People are afraid to give their names for fear of retribution. That says everything about what kind of country we’ve become.” And one added, “We’re living through the thought experiment of what happens when someone with low empathy and high hubris holds the most power on Earth.” Moral disgust and a loss of civic standards For many, the video crystallized what they see as America’s moral decline. “He is the emotional and mental equivalent of a vindictive 12-year-old boy imagining himself as King of the Land.” “He’s teaching kids that cruelty is humor and that leadership means domination.” “Every president before him at least pretended to unite the country. He delights in dividing it.” A veteran wrote, “I’m embarrassed beyond comprehension. The damage to our country’s image will take decades to undo, if it ever can be.” Another reader linked it to everyday culture: “This is what happens when cruelty becomes entertainment. The presidency has become reality television.” One of the more thoughtful comments: “The video was unimaginative. Revolting, disgusting, and disturbing, too. But completely on the nose. Totally reflecting of the President’s character. Have we ever had a president who takes delight, daily, in (s---ting) [sorry: pouring excrement] on a large number of citizens---and on the Constitution? Have we ever had a president who didn’t try - or at least pretend - to be the president of all Americans? Have we ever had a president who didn’t try to bring people together? Have we ever had a president who actively worked to keep us divided? I’m used to this garbage from him. What’s troubling is the number of people who cheer him on. Who celebrate when people exercising their rights and freedoms are crapped on.” Anger turned into resolve Among the outrage was determination. The video, many said, reaffirmed their reason to protest, vote, and stay engaged. “It’s proof of why we march. His video validated everything the protesters stood for.” “We can’t give up — this is how democracies die, with people too tired to keep showing up.” One protester described the downtown Cleveland rally as “the most inspiring event I’ve ever attended,” then added, “Seeing the video afterward was like a slap in the face — but it made me more determined.” Another suggested moving beyond protest to economic pressure: “If King Trump found the rallies amusing, hit him where it hurts — organized boycotts of Republican-backed corporations. Sunshine and financial pain are the only languages they understand.” Others found hope in solidarity: “Seeing so many people of all ages, races and backgrounds come together to say ‘No Kings’ inspired hope I haven’t felt since last November.” A small minority defends him Roughly one in ten respondents defended the president or mocked the outrage. “People need to lighten up — it was satire.” “He has First Amendment rights, too.” “If protesters can insult him, he can give it back.” Some denied he produced the video at all, calling it “AI fake” or “a meme from supporters.” A few accused the media of bias: “You’re a leftist paper. Why don’t you cover the world peace he’s brought about?” Even within that group, though, several conceded it was childish. “It was funny — South Park-like,” one said, “but not something a president should do.” A mirror of the nation Together, the messages form a portrait of a community — and a country — struggling to hold on to civility and common purpose. One reader captured the prevailing sentiment: “We used to have presidents who tried to lift us up. Now we have one who glories in putting us down. The real scandal isn’t that he did it — it’s that no one in his party will say it’s wrong.” Another offered a weary kind of faith: “He may keep dumping on us, but every act like this wakes up more people who’ve been asleep.” Whether viewed as satire, symptom, or warning, the “King Trump” video became more than a social-media stunt. For hundreds of Ohioans, it was one more test of how much indecency the public will normalize — and a measure of how determined many remain not to let that happen. You can join my From the Editor text list for free at joinsubtext.com/chrisquinn. Subscribers receive daily behind-the-scenes updates on newsroom projects and can reply directly to share thoughts that inform coverage — or, as in this case, offer a window into how Northeast Ohioans feel about the most contentious moments in American life.
