President* Trump,

It sure seems like a bad idea to piss off the people who’re supposed to protect you. Even if they still look as though they’re dotting all i’s and crossing all t’s, if they’re unhappy with their subject because they feel as though he could give a rat’s ass about their well-being, well, then it seems fairly likely that if some sort of threat were to arise they might just hesitate a teensy-tiny fraction of a second longer than if they felt all in on safeguarding the person. I’m just saying….

The fact that there are Secret Service people talking to journalists about your lack of concern for their health and safety is not good from a national security standpoint.

Once again, though, considering the consequences of your actions is simply not something you or your team is capable of doing. You were feeling cooped up, and maybe even amped up from the corticosteroids, so what’s a little spin around the block to wave to your adoring fans? You wore your mask. The others in the car wore their masks. It was only around one block. The AC was on high (I’m betting). So where’s the harm? Can’t we just call this a no harm, no foul deal?

At this point it’s hard to say exactly what the harm will be, but it’s unlikely there will be none. First, we don’t know whether any of the other occupants in the car will end up testing positive and if so, how ill they’ll get and whether they’ll pass it to others. Thus, we don’t know yet whether anyone will end up dead because you wanted the chance to wave to some maniacs. So that’s one potential harm vector that’s up in the air (floating like aerosolized virus-laden droplets in a closed space). A second harm vector is the degree to which this stunt (further) undermines the morale among the Secret Service agents tasked with protecting you and your family, which as noted above, could have dire consequences should an acute threat against one of you surface. The third harm vector that I can think of right now is that surely our foreign adversaries are watching all of this with rapt attention and are taking note of the copious vulnerabilities you’re recklessly introducing. Will they get to an especially aggrieved Secret Service agent? Will they set traps to embarrass you or worse?

Like I said, we can’t know what fallout this particular dumb ass move of yours will engender, but it sure seems unlikely that you’re going to get away with it scot-free. And really, it would be one thing if the fallout solely landed on you, but we know that’s not how you roll. Most of whatever it is will end up landing on those around you and especially on those who’re in service roles visa vie you.

But as you’ve amply demonstrated, you don’t care. And you’re too stupid to see that throwing other people’s safety and well-being under the bus actually increases your own risk.

Have you never heard of the idea of enlightened self-interest? I’m betting not, so here’s a quick Wikipedia definition for you:

“Enlightened self-interest is a philosophy in ethics which states that persons who act to further the interests of others, ultimately serve their own self-interest.”

In your situation, particularly as it pertains to the people in your Secret Service detail, this philosophy would suggest that by treating them with respect and taking care not to infect them with a potentially lethal virus, you’re likely to get better protection and support from them in turn. It’s pretty damn basic. But whatever. You’re going to do you and you’re going to screw most everyone in your concentric orbits along the way – those closest in and those of us way out on the periphery in the equivalent of Pluto-land. No one is safe from you, including you.

May we all agree we need to end this tragically unsafe situation as soon as possible.
May we be willing to vote reckless, malevolent idiots out of office.
May we be strong and stalwart as we ride this last bit out.
May we accept that someone who can’t look after himself properly has no business being in charge of anything.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson