Sound Off: May 21, 2026
Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.
All quiet
Just called my 2 U.S. Senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, and my U.S. Rep, Mike Ezell (all three self-proclaimed principled, conservative “law ‘n’ order” Republicans) to ask if they supported the Dept. of Justice creating a $1.776 billion slush fund for President Trump to reward cronies/supporters/Jan. 6 rioters. Oddly, not a one of them have taken a public position according to their staffers. Silence is sanctioning.
Shameful
Louisiana booted Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy to the curb. Cassidy, one of the few remaining principled Republicans, received President Trump’s retribution, with the party spending millions to destroy a great American. Next on Trump’s buy-the-seat menu is Texan Ken Paxton, to unseat Sen. Cornyn, a man of character. It’s very clear the type of person Trump prefers, and very sad that MAGA blindly supports them.
RINO season
The RINO is becoming extinct, as it should. President Trump is taking over the Republican Party. You can get on board or get out of the way.
Farmland
After his China trip, President Trump reversed his campaign pledge to stop China from buying USA farmland. What kind of dealmaking is this?
IRS
Like millions of Americans, I reluctantly pay my taxes every year. Apparently I’ve been doing it all wrong. The winning strategy now seems to be: sue the IRS, collect a $1.7 billion settlement funded by taxpayers, then spread the cash around to your Jan. 6 pals after commuting the sentences of people convicted for attacking the Capitol. Who knew “law and order” came with a platinum cashback rewards program? And here’s the part that really deserves a standing ovation: the president — the man who literally oversees the IRS through his own administration — somehow gets to sue the government, negotiate a settlement with himself, and then pay himself using everyone else’s tax dollars. It’s less “constitutional republic” and more “late-night casino run by the inmates.” At this point, the asylum isn’t just being run by the inmates — they’ve apparently taken over accounting too.
Petrodollars
Iran and other nations are now creating bilateral financial arrangements with major Asian oil importers in non-dollar currencies. This accelerates the slow erosion of the U.S. petrodollar’s dominance in the global oil trade. With the Iran War, Trump has weakened the US Dollar in world finance.
This is fine
Donald Trump said Kamala Harris “cackles while the economy burns.” He remodels Washington D.C. and compensates losers with our tax dollars while the economy burns.
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