1. United States
2. Letter

In my previous letter I urged you to hold the line on immigration and resist deals that entangle us with Beijing. Today I write about how we hold that line—specifically, the peril of using excessive force against the growing protest movement. You built MAGA on three words: “I hear you.” The crowds outside ICE facilities and federal courthouses include radicals, yes—but also anxious parents, veterans, even former Trump voters who fear governmental heavy-handedness. The moment we treat them all as enemy combatants, we confirm the establishment’s smear that our movement is driven by spite rather than justice. Why restraint serves the cause 1. Moral high ground equals political high ground. Ronald Reagan once said that a great nation need not be cruel to be strong. When cameras capture disciplined officers calmly arresting genuine rioters while allowing peaceful chants to continue, undecided Americans nod and say, “That looks fair.” When they see knee-jerk crackdowns, they flinch toward the other side. 2. Your legacy depends on optics. Your enemies failed to erase 2016; do not give them footage that lets future textbooks equate America First with Bull Connor. Destroying that narrative now ensures your accomplishments—tax reform, border wall sections, Abraham Accords—aren’t overshadowed by a single nightstick-swinging headline. 3. The base prizes justice, not brutality. Blue-collar patriots resent a two-tier system; they do not cheer cruelty for its own sake. If Granny with a flag is shoved to the pavement, MAGA Facebook feeds will fill with disgust, not applause. A practical plan • Issue a public directive: “We will enforce the law firmly and fairly. Peaceful protest is sacrosanct; violence will be met with proportionate force only.” • Equip officers with body cameras and de-escalation training—then livestream operations. Sunlight is the best inoculation against media distortion. • Highlight success stories: showcase officers handing water to demonstrators while arresting agitators who throw bricks. That’s the America First way: strong, just, and unmistakably American. Mr. President, the movement’s enemies crave a viral image of cruelty. Deny it to them. Lead with courage and compassion, and history will record that Donald J. Trump restored both strength and decency to the public square.