Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Ed Falco is a poet and a writer. He teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. His most recent book is the poetry collection “X in the Tickseed”.
KB: Why do you dislike or even hate Trump?
Because he’s a habitual liar. Because he’s a would-be dictator. Because he admires dictators. Because he’s a buffoon. Because he’s a rapist. Because he’s a cheat and a thief. Because he respects no one. Because he insults everyone. Because he’s dangerous. Because he’s ugly, morally, ethically ugly. Because he seems to truly believe he’s smarter than everyone, while being dumber than just about anyone. Who thinks bleach might be ingested to cure a virus? The level of ignorance is stunning. Most of all, I despise the man for trying to stay in power after losing the election of 2020.
The plan was dumb and likely could have never worked—but Trump clearly thought it could work and he could subvert the will of the people.
KB: How do you view his supporters?
The worst of his supporters range from the gullible and uneducated to fascists and Neo-Nazis. Most of his supporters, though, get their news from right-wing media—Fox primarily—where they’re sold an America-First, Nativist agenda with Trump as a strongman who will support American workers and stand up against illegal aliens and every form of progressive thought that they see as threatening to traditional values. Fed a steady diet of lies and half-truths, they believe themselves to be the true patriots and Trump to be their hero. Well, that’s probably about 25 or 30 percent of his followers. The rest don’t much like Trump either, but they believe he’ll be good for business and support a conservative agenda. And then there are the Evangelicals who want this to be a Christian nation—and if they have to support the anti-Christ to get there, they’re willing to do it.
KB: Why is America better off without Trump?
Because he’s divided America with his willingness to lie about everything—and to convince millions of Americans of his lies with the support of right-wing media.
KB: Why should Trump never be President again?
Because he’s incompetent and dangerous. Because given the chance he would like nothing better than to become and American Putin—a dictator willing to use any means at all, including murder, to crush his opponents. I don’t think that’s too extreme a thing to say, given his calls for violence in the past and his obvious admiration of dictators.
KB: Why should people vote for Joe Biden?
Because he’s the only alternative to Trump! And, incidentally, he’s proved himself to be a steady hand for the past four years as president, and that includes his handling of the economy, which has not only avoided the recession everyone thought was inevitable but been especially strong in comparison to most of the rest of the world.
KB: Why are you a Democrat and how do you view the Republican Party?
Overall, as a generalization, the Democrats are more likely to institute policies that help the poor and middle class do better, while the Republicans are more likely to help the rich get richer.
KB: 500 writers signed an open letter to stop Donald Trump in 2016. You were the one of them. Why did you sign that letter and would you do it again?
I signed the letter in 2016 because it was obvious to me, as it should have been to anyone paying attention, that Donald Trump was not fit to be president. A malignant narcissist with the verbal skills of a child, his campaign embraced and nurtured violence and bigotry. Early in the campaign I thought he was a clown who was running for president as a publicity stunt. Later, when it was clear that he had substantial support, I wanted to do anything I could to speak out against him—which is why I signed the letter. And yes, I would do it again in 2024.
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