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My wife and I were in San Diego during last fall’s election. On Nov. 2, three nights before the election, a local TV station reported that three San Diego psychiatrists had observed the campaigns to be president. They concluded Donald Trump was mentally ill.

Those of us who have taken Psychology 101 recognized in 2016 that Trump is a narcisstic psychopath. Narcisstic psychopaths are preoccupied on themselves and use people to achieve their goals. When no longer useful, they are cast aside. That, in itself, does not disqualify one from being president.

However, after the Jan. 6 insurrection and claims the election was stolen, it pains me to say Trump has shown himself to be a pathological liar. We are used to his exaggeration and hyperbole, but can we trust what he says? Politicians boast about their accomplishments, but this is different.

Last summer, Hungarian President Victor Orban visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. After winning Hungary’s election in 2010, Orrban systematically disassembled the pillars of a liberal democracy (lower case “L”) to an electoral autocracy. He maintains power by elections that are neither free nor fair. Trump’s admiration of Orban ought to disturb us.

July 4, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of American independence and the experiment of democracy. There is evidence which suggests our democracy is under attack. Will it survive?

Are we like a frog in the kettle on a burner? The fire is lit. The water is getting warmer. If the frog fails to recognize the rising temperature and hop out, eventually the frog will get cooked. Its legs will end up on someone’s dinner plate.

The issue is one of country over party, not partisan politics. It’s about preserving democracy for our children and our children’s children.

Kenneth Jensen
Albert Lea