An Open Letter from Elmo to MAGA

From the pen of Patrice Mersault (Open Letters by Mersault)

Dear Friends,

Elmo hopes you’re having a sunny day! 🌞 Elmo loves teaching his friends about kindness, honesty, and sharing. But lately, Elmo is very, very sad.

Elmo doesn’t understand. Why do some grown-ups still cheer for Mr. Trump, even when he does the opposite of what I teach their kids?

That makes Elmo sad. That makes Elmo confused. And honestly? It makes Elmo want to call Oscar the Grouch and ask for some of his anti-depressants.

Because if there’s a world record for meanness, Mr. Trump is trying to win it.

Kindness, Respect, and Empathy

On Sesame Street, everyone is treated with kindness, even if they're different. But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump calls people mean names, makes fun of how they look, and says bad things about whole countries. Big Bird says that's called bullying. And Elmo doesn't like bullies.

Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump isn't just grouchy like Oscar the Grouch—Mr. Trump enjoys being mean. He wants people to feel small. He wants them to be afraid. He wants them to fight each other while he watches from his golden tower, laughing. That's not nice. That's not fair. That's not what good grown-ups do.

Elmo teaches his friends to care about others. When Elmo sees someone fall down, Elmo helps them get back up. That's what friends do. That's what good people do.

But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump laughs when people fall. When people are sick, hungry, or hurting, Mr. Trump ignores them—or worse, makes fun of them. That's not what leaders do. That's not what good grown-ups do.

And why do some grown-ups cheer for his cruelty instead of teaching their kids to be better?

Maybe it's because kindness takes strength. And maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump is too weak to be kind.

Honesty

Elmo teaches his friends to tell the truth. Because when friends are honest, they can trust each other. But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump tells so many untrue things that even his own friends can’t keep up.

If Count von Count tried to count all of Mr. Trump’s fibs, he would still be counting! Ah ah ah! One fib, two fibs, three fibs—wait! Now Mr. Trump says the opposite! Start over! One fib, two fibs… oh no, now he’s saying something else! The Count is asking for a calculator and a bottle of aspirin.

If Elmo told as many fibs as Mr. Trump, Elmo’s friends wouldn’t believe anything Elmo says anymore. That would make Elmo very, very sad. But for some reason, grown-ups keep believing Mr. Trump. Even when he says something one day and the exact opposite the next.

On Sesame Street, when someone lies all the time, friends stop trusting them.

So why do grown-ups keep trusting a man who wouldn’t even pass Elmo’s truth-telling lesson? Why do they believe someone who treats them like they’re too silly to notice his lies?

Responsibility and Accountability

When Elmo spills his juice, Elmo says, “Oops! Elmo made a mistake!” Then Elmo cleans it up. Because that’s what big kids do.

But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump never says “oops.” When he makes a mess, he blames everyone else—even when it’s his fault. That’s what babies do. But Mr. Trump is a grown-up, right? So why does he act like a toddler who won’t clean up his toys?

Even Oscar—who lives in trash—takes responsibility for his own garbage. He doesn’t pretend someone else made the mess.

Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump makes BIG messes, then throws a tantrum and blames someone else. Elmo is shaking his head.

Why do Trump’s supporters keep cleaning up his messes for him?

Sharing and Helping Each Other

Cookie Monster loves cookies. 🍪 LOVES THEM. But Cookie Monster also learned something important: if he eats all the cookies, nobody else gets any. So Cookie Monster shares! Because that’s what good friends do.

But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump only gives cookies to people who already own whole bakeries, whole factories, whole warehouses full of cookies! And some of Elmo’s friends? They don’t even have crumbs. Some don’t have enough food, or a safe home, or a doctor to help them when they’re sick. But instead of helping, Mr. Trump takes away programs that do.

Even Cookie Monster knows that’s selfish. And Cookie Monster is literally named Cookie Monster. If he can learn to share, why can’t Mr. Trump?

Maybe Mr. Trump doesn’t share because he thinks leaders should only help the people with the biggest cookie jars. But on Sesame Street, we make sure nobody goes hungry.

So why do some grown-ups cheer for a man who hoards everything for himself and his rich friends? Why do they act like selfishness is strength?

Inclusivity

Elmo loves all his friends, no matter where they come from. Big Bird is big, Elmo is small, Rosita speaks Spanish, Grover is blue, and Count von Count is from Transylvania! And Mr. Snuffleupagus? No one even knows what Snuffleupagus is—but he still belongs on Sesame Street.

But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump says some people don’t belong—just because they weren’t born in the same place as him, or because they don’t look like him, or because they believe something different. That’s not fair. That’s not kind. That’s not how neighborhoods—or countries—are supposed to work.

On Sesame Street, when someone needs help, we open the door wider. But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump wants to slam the door shut, build a wall, and lock it—and then tell everyone outside they don’t matter.

Elmo doesn’t understand. If Sesame Street has room for everyone, why does Mr. Trump want to push people away?

And why do grown-ups let him? Do they really believe some people deserve less just because they were born somewhere else?

Love and Belonging

Elmo loves all his friends, no matter who they love! Bert and Ernie have been “best friends” forever, and Elmo knows that love and family come in all kinds of ways. On Sesame Street, nobody gets told they don’t belong just because of who they are or who they love.

But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump doesn’t think that way. He has taken rights away from LGBTQ+ people, made it harder for them to serve in the military, and even let schools and businesses discriminate against them. That’s not kind. That’s not fair.

Elmo knows that everyone deserves to feel safe and loved. But Mr. Trump wants some people to feel left out, unwelcome, and afraid—just for being themselves. Even though Bert and Ernie teach us that love is love, Mr. Trump acts like only some people deserve it.

On Sesame Street, everyone belongs. Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump wants to decide who gets to belong and who doesn’t.

If love isn’t a privilege, why do Trump’s supporters cheer for a man who treats it like one?

Elmo doesn’t get it. If a five-year-old can learn to be kind, why can’t Mr. Trump?

Grown-ups are supposed to set a good example. But Mr. Trump? Mr. Trump does the opposite. If Mr. Trump lived on Sesame Street, he’d be in permanent time-out.

Elmo hopes you remember the lessons you learned as kids: Be kind. Tell the truth. Share. Include others. Solve problems peacefully. Take responsibility. Care about people.

Because if grown-ups forget those things, what kind of world will they leave behind?

Elmo believes in you. But believing isn’t enough. You have to try.

And if you keep cheering for a man who stands against everything Elmo teaches your children—what does that say about you?

Love,
Elmo

Author’s Note:

Many of my articles address Trump supporters—not expecting to change their minds, but to expose truths and offer catharsis to those still tethered to reason.​

Some critique that my writing is too complex for the average Trump voter to comprehend; that the language is too precise, the arguments too structured, the words too polysyllabic for an audience conditioned to digest slogans over substance.​

There may be some truth to this. Analyses have shown that Trump's speeches are at a fourth-grade level—despite his frequent incoherence. Meanwhile, red-state voters, on average, have a reading level well below the national average. If Trump's speeches are aimed at children yet still resonate with his base, it raises an uncomfortable question: are his supporters drawn to him because his incoherence matches their own, or because they lack the cognitive ability to process anything more complex?​

To bridge that gap, I've enlisted the help of a beloved Sesame Street character—one who speaks in simple terms, values kindness and truth, and explains concepts at a level even a child can grasp. If Trump supporters cannot understand the fundamental failures of their leader when broken down into preschool lessons, then perhaps the problem was never about complexity, but rather their refusal to learn in the first place.​

Enjoy.

Patrice Mersault (Open Letters by Mersault)

Please Stop Calling them Conservatives

Heather Cox Richardson puts it this way in her March 13,2025 Letter from from an American:

The days when the Republican Party were conservatives are long gone. Edmund Burke, the Anglo-Irish politician and political thinker who began the process of articulating a conservative political philosophy, did so most famously in response to the French Revolution. In 1790, a year after the storming of the Bastille prison symbolized the rebellion of the people against the monarchy, Burke wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France.

Burke had supported the American Revolution that had ended less than a decade before largely because he believed that the American colonists were trying to restore their traditional rights. But the French Revolution, he thought, was an entirely different proposition. As revolutionaries in France replaced their country’s traditions with laws and systems based on their theory of an ideal government, Burke drew back.

He took a stand against radical change driven by people trying to make the government enforce a specific political ideology. Ideologically driven government was radical and dangerous, he thought: quickly, the ideology became more important than the complex reality of the way society—and people—actually worked.

In 1790, Burke argued that the role of government was not to impose a worldview, but rather to promote stability, and that lawmakers could achieve that stability most effectively by supporting the structures that had proven themselves effective in the past; in his time, that meant social hierarchies, the church, property, and the family. “Conservative” meant, literally, conserving what was already there, without reference to an ideology. Those in charge of government should make changes slowly, according to facts on the ground, in order to keep the country stable, he thought. If it behaved this way, the government, which in his time was usually seen as a negative force in society, could be a positive one.

In 2025 the Republicans in charge of the United States of America are not the conservatives they call themselves; they are the dangerous ideological radicals Burke feared. They are abruptly dismantling a government that has kept the United States relatively prosperous, secure, and healthy for the past 80 years. In its place, they are trying to impose a government based in the idea that a few men should rule.

The View from Abroad

Below is an English translation of a spot on speech made last week by Claude Malhuret, a French senator who is largely unknown outside France. Seems like

Europe is at a critical turning point in its history. The American shield is slipping, Ukraine risks being abandoned, Russia strengthened.

Washington has become the court of Nero, an incendiary emperor, submissive courtiers, and a jester high on ketamine in charge of purging the civil service.

This is a tragedy for the free world, but it is first and foremost a tragedy for the United States. Trump’s message is that there is no point in being his ally since he will not defend you, he will impose higher tariffs on you than on his enemies and will threaten to seize your territories while supporting the dictatorships that invade you.

The ‘king of the deal’ is showing what the art of the deal is on his stomach. He thinks he will intimidate China by lying down in front of Putin, but Xi Jinping, seeing such a submissiveness, is probably accelerating preparations for the invasion of Taiwan.

Never in history has a US President capitulated to the enemy. Never has any one of them supported an aggressor against an ally, trampled on the US Constitution, issued so many illegal executive orders, dismissed judges who could have prevented him from doing so, dismissed the military senior staff in one fell swoop, weakened all checks and balances, and taken control of social media.

This is not an illiberal drift, it is the beginning of the confiscation of democracy. Let us remember that it took only one month, three weeks and two days to bring down the Weimar Republic and its Constitution.

I have faith in the strength of American democracy, and the country is already protesting. But in one month, Trump has done more harm to America than in four years of his last presidency. We were at war with a dictator, now we are fighting a dictator backed by a traitor.

Eight days ago, at the very moment that Trump was rubbing Macron’s back in the White House, the United States voted at the UN with Russia and North Korea against the Europeans demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Two days later, in the Oval Office, the military service shirker was giving war hero Zelensky lessons in morality and strategy before dismissing him like a groom, ordering him to bend or resign.