America Can’t Survive Without Empathy & Truth, End the Rhetoric & Lies Now

Empathy is not a weakness; it is what makes a nation strong. Yet Donald Trump has treated it as something to destroy, mocking compassion while pushing cruel policies that punish the vulnerable and reward the powerful. His government has detained more than 56,000 immigrants, often in brutal conditions, while he jokes about them being eaten by alligators. At the same time, his allies slash food assistance, Medicaid, and essential protections, pushing more families into desperation to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. This is not policy. It is dehumanization masked as politics. Though no longer in Trump’s orbit, Elon Musk left a dangerous legacy through DOGE cuts, which gutted critical safety programs and targeted agencies meant to protect the public. Musk called empathy a “civilizational weakness,” and his vision lives on in government decisions that defund science, public protections, and community services. The result? A nation that grows colder, more divided, and less prepared for crises that harm everyday Americans. I ask every elected official: Would you accept this same cruelty if it were aimed at your children, grandchildren, or loved ones? Historians and scholars warn that societies fall apart when empathy is lost, when leaders normalize selfishness, spread rhetoric, and strip away our shared obligations. America’s strength has always been built on care for one another and a belief in fairness and justice. It is time to reject this toxic path. We demand you stop the cruelty, end the rhetoric, and restore humanity and truth to our government. Our future and our moral legacy depend on it.