Outrage at Trump is a sign that he’s effective
Malverne, L.I.: To Voicer Raymond P. Moran: Please don’t be insulted by these Voicers with Trump Derangement Syndrome; it’s just reflexive for them to instantly resist anything President Trump does, even when it goes against their own interests, i.e. the very unpopular congestion pricing. They just can’t help it.
Instead, embrace their TDS as an affirmation that Trump is doing a great job! A few weeks ago, I wrote a letter pleading to all my Voicer friends with TDS to try and refrain from all the ridiculous rhetoric they were constantly writing about, as I could not understand why, if they hated this man so much, they would allow him to live in their heads rent-free!
I was, as expected, instantly rebuked. However, now, in light of the president’s first month in office and his swift and immediate reversal of all the lunacy enacted on us over the last four years, I must say that I am surprisingly happy they all have disregarded my last letter. This is because every morning, I now look forward to reading all their letters, and I revel in the fact that they are losing their collective minds!
It only reinforces the fact that the American people — overwhelmingly, I might add — did the right thing by putting Trump back in office. So, I say please keep them coming, they do seem to brighten my day. Dave Kalin
A coup for the few
Astoria: The madness of King Donnie. Calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator while chatting with and cozying up to the likes of a murderous Vladimir Putin speaks volumes. Our Constitution is being shredded before our eyes as an overt coup is underway. Trump surrounds himself with spineless toadies who are sanctioning and furthering the dismantling of America. His actions will benefit the few at the expense of the many. Hopefully, there are enough citizens with a conscience to stem the tide of authoritarianism that appears to be looming! Karen N. Pearlman
Promises kept
Staten Island: Trump’s first several weeks in office have been nothing short of an absolute success. From the moment he took office, Trump has acted with urgency and purpose to fulfill the mandate given to him by the American people — putting America first, restoring our economy and reasserting our strength. Trump is already delivering on a number of promises, including securing the southern border and deporting thousands of violent, criminal migrants, keeping men out of women’s sports, negotiating the release of American citizens held hostage abroad and restoring America’s place on the world stage as an economic and military superpower. For too long, Washington has been mired in gridlock and empty rhetoric. But the American people elected Trump to be our champion. Unafraid and unburdened, he challenges the status quo because his duty is America first and he knows it is exactly what the American people deserve. Peter Giunta
Off the rails
Flushing: Here we go, folks! Thousands of government workers are arbitrarily kicked out of work, international aid is in the deep freeze, unelected Elon Musk runs amok acting like he is the Lord incarnate and convicted felons are let loose. Have no fear, Trump will fix it. Lester Simon
Fiscal wisdom
East Haven, Conn.: Why the hell are these liberals going crazy over DOGE cleaning up our government’s decades-long fraud and waste? Anyone on Social Security like me should be happy that this is happening. We heard for the last few years that Social Security is going broke. With the money that can be saved, maybe we will get a better cost-of-living increase next year and save Social Security for future recipients. Rob Mele
Circus clowns
Lake Ariel, Pa.: The Democrats still have a chance to come back. After watching them for the last month, I think they can revive the circus in this country, with them starring in the Army of 262 Clowns. It seems they are more suited for that than for taking care of our country and its citizens. Peanuts, anyone? Joseph Beyhl
Toll imbalance
Bronx: So, the powers that be decided it’s unfair for New Jersey drivers to pay a toll in New York. New York drivers have paid tolls on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike for decades. How about New Jersey refunds all that money with interest before we talk about shutting down congestion pricing? Crazy talk? Never gonna happen? Consider that the “king” himself would be due a refund from that deal. Glenn O’Sullivan
Not for all audiences
Somers, N.Y.: Alan Dershowitz’s op-ed (“50 years of ‘SNL’ is just not funny,” Feb. 20) shows me that he is out of touch with comedy today. I grew up with most of the comedians from the past, as he did. I loved the old-time standup comics, but slapstick was also a part of that era — the old comedic adage that when you slip on a banana peel it’s terrible, but when you watch someone else slip on a banana peel, that’s funny. The three-hour-plus “SNL” 50 years show had some skits that didn’t land, but others were funny. They even made fun of skits from the past that didn’t hit the mark. Dershowitz is not the savant of comedy he pretends to be. Comedy is subjective, so if you don’t like it, that’s you. I’ll decide what is funny to me. Michael Gold
Curmudgeonly critique
Flushing: Dershowitz enters “old man yells at cloud” territory. Counselor forgets the original name of the “Saturday Night Live” troupe was The Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Sure, the humor has been uneven and sometimes juvenile, but 50 years is an eternity in American culture, and successive casts and writers that have cycled through the seasons remain relatively young. I’m only 11 years younger than the esteemed Dershowitz, and the musical guests on the show, with few exceptions, no longer appeal to me. But I still find about 50% of the show funny and the political barbs relatively mild and on target. Colin Jost and Michael Che ding each other almost as often as news personalities. There have been good seasons and terrible seasons. But it isn’t fair to compare the primetime comedy cream of the last century to The Not Ready for Prime Time Players. Judith Mermelstein
True take
Pelham, N.Y.: Dershowitz was right-on with his critique (and disparagement) of “Saturday Night Live.” That show was never funny and I always wondered how people bear watching it. Sitting through it was torture until I finally stopped watching it, which was just after three or four episodes. I tuned in occasionally after that just to see why the show received so much attention, and to my mind it was just a case of the emperor’s new clothes. Dershowitz should be praised for eloquently articulating how I think many people feel about that show, and he certainly needn’t apologize for his dislike of the show being a matter of his age. Wendy Packus
Slapstick suit
Nutley, N.J.: Wow! Alan Dershowitz lecturing us on what is funny. Now that’s hysterical. Dershowitz’s defense of Trump, the world’s most unfunny and scariest clown, during the first impeachment trial is perhaps the funniest thing televised in the modern era. He’s funny and he doesn’t know it. To use Alan’s words, “If it weren’t sad, it would be funny.” Gary Allan
Colonial composition
Brooklyn: I was profoundly amused by Voicer Lawrence Freedland’s bit of tone-deaf doggerel about Oct. 7 and its aftermath. With its hackneyed meter and forced rhymes, his creaky poem evokes all of the breezy good cheer of Rudyard Kipling’s imperialist prosody. This odious ode positively groans under the weight of its colonialist ambitions. As such, it may very well be the perfect celebration and accompaniment to the auctioning of Palestinian lands that took place last week in Brooklyn. Kudos to you, Mr. Freedland. You may be the great bard of Zionist genocide. Way to go, Lawrence. Nick Smith
Unresponsive
Brooklyn: To Voicer Jimmy Durda: Don’t waste your time calling 311 or your councilman, or going to the precinct or the bus company. I have been calling since April 2024 and to date, I have seen one parking ticket being given. That’s because I stopped the traffic cruiser and asked for the bus to be ticketed that was blocking the bike lane and the hydrant. Your tax dollars at work. Carmen Lugo
