Vivien Killilea
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Russell Simmons, who describes himself as a "real friend," of Donald Trump, has penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post addressing the president-elect. The piece, entitled "A Prayer for Donald Trump and America," finds Simmons making an appeal to Trump to shift the tone of his rhetoric and reconsider the policies included in his proposed platform.
Rush's letter begins pretty diplomatically, offering Trump congratulations on his presidential victory, despite the fact that he "vigorously" campaigned against his candidacy. "While I disagree with many of the things that you have said during your campaign and many of your policies that you have proposed, you will still be our president," writes Simmons, "and I am willing to work for and with you."
He also encourages the president-elect to seek counsel from other progressive thinkers, citing the notion that Trump is an "independent thinker," whose true political leanings are far less radical than his campaign might suggest.
The next passage from the letter, however, takes on a more firm tone, roundly condemning Trump's words and actions thus far:
"Donald, you cannot target a religious group of people. That is dangerous. You cannot separate families and deport people who have only known this country as their home. That is immoral. Donald, you cannot further militarize the police and empower them to antagonize and terrorize black communities. That is unjust. You cannot wage war against women’s rights. That is disastrous. You must stop with the hateful and harmful language towards women and people of color. That is unacceptable."
Read the full letter here, via the Huffington Post.
