1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

Donald Trump's reported praise of Adolf Hitler's leadership is deeply disturbing and unacceptable for any public official, let alone the President of the United States. Glorifying the actions of one of history's most notorious perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity is abhorrent and goes against fundamental American values of human rights, democracy, and justice. Trump's denial of these comments does little to alleviate concerns over his alarming affinity for authoritarian figures responsible for immense suffering. While Hitler did temporarily improve Germany's economic situation through unethical and unsustainable means, such marginal "achievements" in no way justify or outweigh the immense atrocities and genocide committed under the Nazi regime. Any suggestion that Hitler "did a lot of good things" is a troubling endorsement of evil. Leaders must be judged not by short-term policy impacts, but by their core values, respect for human rights, and the long-term consequences of their actions. For the President to voice even tacit approval of Hitler is an indelible stain on American leadership and emboldens the same racist, antisemitic, and extremist ideologies that led to the Holocaust and World War II. It betrays the sacrifices of Americans who fought against Nazi tyranny. Trump's contemptible rhetoric toward fallen American soldiers further compounds this disgrace. No political agenda can excuse valorizing Hitler or dismissing the horrors of Nazism. The American people deserve a president who unequivocally rejects fascism, honors our democratic institutions, and upholds the nation's foundational principles of equality and human dignity for all people. Trump's reprehensible infatuation with Hitler is yet another reminder that he is unfit to lead a free society.