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Donald Trump and Company were on the ropes. They could not claim that the Jan. 6 hearings were a witch hunt by a Democratic conspiracy because respected Republicans were testifying to the mobster tactics that were threatened upon them when they tried to do their sworn duty to the U.S. Constitution (rather than comply with the illegal activities of a self-absorbed dictator).

Then out-of-the-blue rumors followed by the decision to undo Roe v. Wade (which has been in place for 50 years) appeared, seeming suspiciously timed to take attention away from swiftly bringing these mobsters to justice. Rather than deviate into the imbalance of what this decision does to those less fortunate (and overcoming the resistance of Republicans to pay for all the added government programs that should include ensuring the quality of life for all those born less fortunate), let’s not forget to bring justice to minimize a recurrence of Jan. 6.

The hysteria associated with overturning the flawed 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is amazing to behold. Ruth Bader Ginsburg didn’t retire because the liberal press assured her (and lefty constituents) that Hillary was a shoo-in for president. Ergo, Donald Trump was able to appoint three conservative justices. And voila, Roe was overturned.

Liberals (including the Mercury News) have only themselves and RBG to blame for this outcome – returning the power to the individual states rather than the bloated bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. Personally, I support abortion (with proper justification) in the first trimester. I do not support abortion at or near delivery as the child is essentially fully formed.

The right to abortion was not repealed. The right of the people in individual states to determine the taking of life was reinstated. Kudos to our supremes.

Jackie Calmes’ June 19 op-ed (“In 1972, Republicans rose to the occasion, unlike today’s GOP,” Page A13) ignores an underlying reality that makes Trumpism such a vexing problem: Roughly half the voters in the United States voted for Donald Trump in 2020, and they will vote for him again in 2024. Given Trump’s massive popularity, Republican politicians face a daunting situation. To repudiate Trump means the likely demise of their political careers. Rather than flush their jobs down the toilet, most GOP politicians choose to support Trump, even though in doing so they must forego significant ethical and moral considerations.

Our brain trust needs to understand and address why half our nation would vote for a man like Trump. I think the answers might reveal beliefs and attitudes that we’d like to keep hidden from the rest of the world.

Citizens United is what screws up our country. It legalizes bribing politicians. They work for those who give them money, both Republicans and Democrats. We have an entitled, crony upper class.

They don’t want change. They caused global warming. All government wealth indicators don’t figure in human suffering, so there is no universal health care but tax breaks for drug companies.

Our Constitution is 200 years old and needs revamping. They had muskets; we have nuclear missiles. They had horses for mail; we have the internet. A California senator represents 30 million people; a South Dakota senator less than a million. Any progress to help people is off the table with Citizens United intact.

Karen Van Brunt Santa Cruz

Sen. Ron Johnson hides behind his phone rather than answering a reporter’s question about what he was thinking subverting our government with a fake slate of electors.

Now, if I were him, I’d be calling a press conference pronto to clear my good name, not holding up a dead phone to my ear. This is the problem: We have schmucks running our government. What are they thinking in Wisconsin? Good Lord.

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