Well, the presidency of [here, reader, insert a string of adjectives so now overused as to be tiring] Despot Don continues in its shameful way perfectly consistent with his behavior during his years of birther madness and months of campaigning. In other words, he is the president Americans chose and, we must presume, wanted. Let me translate. American voters wanted a president whose words we cannot trust, who seems not to understand that even he doesn’t know everything, whose blasé spooking of the country by scary, unthought-through  statements and orders, whose secrecy about his business contacts and finances, and his manufacturing of “alternate facts” in order to distract attention from the last psychotic action he’s taken or lying statement he’s made.

It’s too late for Trump voters to hide naively behind ridiculous equivalency comparisons with Hillary Clinton. Trump actions have already surpassed even the partisan description of those matters. It’s too late for Republican officials to pretend patriotism or statespersonhood when cozying up to a man—not because they can stomach his ethics, his knowing “more than the generals,” or his mental imbalance—solely due to his success at voter deception. No, he is now our president, to our international shame and our growing domestic disorder.

What on earth were American voters thinking? Despot Don did not elect himself. We did. And we got exactly what, apparently, we wanted. Putin may have interfered, but only Americans pulled the voting levers or chose not to vote. I hope we learned something, but I fear that’s not likely. There is good reason to fear that we will fall again for the pre-despot, fact-free ranting that was so successful this time.

I hope to be wrong. I hope for enough wisdom and integrity in the legislative branch to find a way to legally remove this man from office before he can do cataclysmic damage. I hope for voters to be informed enough and wise enough to maintain a democracy.