The Donald Trump Interviews… Charles Salzberg Speaks Out

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen

Charles is a novelist and writing instructor. He lives in New York.

KB: Why do you dislike or even hate Trump?

I dislike him (I’ll save the word “hate” for someone more effective than Trump) for what he stands for and has always stood for: himself. His greed, his failure to pay who worked for him their due, his stand against the Central Park Five, wishing for the death penalty for five young men of color who, as it turned out, were innocent of those charges, the mocking of people, the insults, the insensitivity. I could go on, but it’s all in the public record.

KB: How do you view his supporters?

I would put them in two categories. First, those who truly believe he’s their voice and their savior, and those enablers who support him primarily for their own selfish career reasons. The first group, I don’t think too much about, although I have been surprised at their numbers. They believe what they believe, and they’re entitled to that belief, despite the fact that those beliefs are polar opposite of what I believe in and ultimately dangerous to the continued existence of our democracy, and that I think are counter to the spirit on which this country was built. I might think they’re misguided (and wrong), but I would also fight for their right to believe what they believe and who they believe in. It’s frustrating, of course, because I know how entrenched these folks are. As for the second group, I have nothing but disdain (and maybe even hatred) for them. How important could a job really be to make someone support someone like Donald Trump and all he stands for?

KB: Why is America better off without Trump?

I really don’t see that as the most important question. It’s not Donald Trump per se, it’s what he stands for, and even without him those anti-democratic principles would still be with us. In a way, I think he’s done us a favor in that before Trump these people were somewhat under the surface. He gave them “permission” to come out in the open for all to see. So, in that respect, he’s done us a favor—a dangerous favor, of course, but a favor nonetheless. There’ll always be a “Donald Trump” in our woodpile, it’s more about what we can do to combat him—which means in the voting booth and the courtroom. The despicable things he says and does, are reflective of a certain portion of our citizenry and we can no longer bury our heads and pretend they’re not there.

KB: Why should Trump never be President again?

Simple. Because he’s dangerous, and not in the abstract. He sets loose evil forces and appeals to the worst in us.

KB: Why should people vote for Joe Biden?

Because he’s a good and decent man who represents everything Trump is against.

KB: Why are you a Democrat and how do you view the Republican Party?

Although I vote mostly Democratic, I consider myself an Independent who considers the candidate and not the party when it comes to voting. Generally speaking, most if not all of my values reflect the values of the Democrats, but that wouldn’t preclude me from voting for someone of the other party. In fact, growing up in New York City, I probably would have voted for John Lindsay as mayor, and he actually did represent the neighborhood I grew up in before he became mayor.

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?

As a lifelong New Yorker, I know very well who Donald Trump is and what he stands for. Other than casting a vote against him, there’s not much I can do to express my feelings about him and so when presented with the opportunity open letter to stop Trump in 2016 provided, I was eager to sign. And yes, I’d definitely do it again this year.

KB: You are a New Yorker. How do you view the damage Trump has done to your city as a fellow New Yorker?

I don’t really think he’s done any damage to New York City, because most of us here who know who and what he is didn’t pay much attention to him before he went into politics. He was really kind of a joke (we probably should have taken him more seriously). Mayor Bloomberg had it right in the speech he gave at the Democratic convention about Trump: “I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one.”

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