Poor Donald Trump claims that the intelligence community and the media are on a “witch hunt” regarding his ties to Russia. He even claims that it is like Nazi Germany. It seems to me that he could alleviate all the criticism by simply releasing a full and uncensored copy of his financial and business records (as every modern president-elect has done before him). That way we could see for ourselves whether he is honest or not.

Instead, Trump and his team cry foul and point fingers at perceived enemies everywhere, except at themselves. The reason one discloses financial information is to clear the air and thus prevent idle speculation. When you leave an informational or financial gap in politics, unsurprisingly that vacuum gets filled quickly.

In the days remaining before Trump takes office, it is not unusual that the country has a sense of buyer’s remorse. He regularly vilifies anyone who dares to criticize him, yet he tweets constant criticism at his enemies (perceived or otherwise). His public approval rating is now at 37 percent. Perhaps we do see the real Donald Trump now, and we don’t like the many conflicts of interest we see.

Doug Burr

Spokane