I’d like to say a few things about the Inter Lake’s managing editor’s “2 cents” column in the June 24 edition (“Trump and the ‘Mean Girls’ of the media”).

Are you freaking kidding me?

Poor Donald Trump. All those mean journalists picking on him, emulating Woodward and Bernstein. Thank God for journalists like Woodward and Bernstein. No one is above the law, including the president, his staff, or the Congress, despite what he and Nixon thought. They’re not kings. The only thing standing between us and a repressive Russian style government is the free press. Is that what you want for your kids and grandkids, to be told only what the government wants you to hear, whether it’s true or not

The Republicans rage about big government. All the while they’re hiding their back-door dealings, trying to force their own religious beliefs on you, deny your personal health choices, who you can love. Not all Republican legislators want to play God with your personal life, but most will go along no matter how much damage they do to your civil liberties.

Trump attacked Hillary like a rabid animal. I didn’t hear any of you saying how wrong or petty that was. He never offered proof of anything he said — just “trust me.” There was no proof of wrong doing by Hillary. His attacks have been vicious, especially on women, and it’s all on tape. Doesn’t that make him one of those mean girls? I don’t quite get his fascination with women “bleeding from the eyes, or bleeding from wherever.” It’s a clear reflexion on his attitude toward women. But we already saw proof of that. I can’t believe that temperament is sitting in the Oval Office, ruining our relationships with our allies. We need our allies more than ever now.

Most of the Republicans in office are showing their true colors now. They’re backing this man they know doesn’t have the integrity and honesty to do what’s best for the whole country. What about the childish way they treated Obama? They sat on their laurels, not doing their jobs, like petulant children for eight years. Amazingly, he handled all their garbage with the grace of an adult, working to help ALL the people.

They investigated Hillary and came up empty-handed. What’s the difference with investigating the Donald and his family’s ties to Russia and the Russian bank’s ties to money laundering? How about the nepotism going on? If he has nothing to hide, you’d think he’d want his name cleared.

Paul Ryan’s idolization of Ayn Rand’s philosophy explains why he’s OK with millions losing their health care. Her philosophy is “some people count and some don’t. And those that count can commit crimes and get away with it.” Read her books. So, the already wealthy deserve a huge tax cut more than you need health care that could keep you or members of your family alive. Trump is closer to the description of the mean girls, running his smear (“fake news”) on Twitter. And that’s OK? Despite what Ryan says to excuse Trump, this is not inexperience; this is the man’s character. He rules by his enormous ego.

Cardin is a resident of Kalispell.