Read the Letter Aaron Sorkin Wrote His Daughter After Donald Trump Was Elected President
The Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network and mastermind behind The West Wing reacts to Donald Trump being elected the 45th president of the United States in a moving letter written to his 15-year-old daughter Roxy and her mother Julia Sorkin.
By Vera Anderson/WireImage.
Sorkin Girls,
Well the world
changed late last
night in a way I couldn’t protect
us from. That’s a terrible feeling for a father. I
won’t sugarcoat it—
this is truly horrible. It’s hardly the first time my
candidate didn’t
win (in fact it’s the sixth time) but it is the first
time that a
thoroughly incompetent pig with dangerous ideas,
a serious
psychiatric disorder, no knowledge of the world and
no curiosity
to learn has.
changed late last
night in a way I couldn’t protect
us from. That’s a terrible feeling for a father. I
won’t sugarcoat it—
this is truly horrible. It’s hardly the first time my
candidate didn’t
win (in fact it’s the sixth time) but it is the first
time that a
thoroughly incompetent pig with dangerous ideas,
a serious
psychiatric disorder, no knowledge of the world and
no curiosity
to learn has.
And it wasn’t just Donald Trump who won last night—it was his
supporters too. The Klan won last night. White nationalists.
Sexists, racists and buffoons. Angry young white men who think
rap music and Cinco de Mayo are a threat to their way of life
(or are the reason for their way of life) have been given cause
to celebrate. Men who have no right to call themselves that and
who think that women who aspire to more than looking hot are
shrill, ugly, and otherwise worthy of our scorn rather than our
admiration struck a blow for misogynistic shitheads everywhere.
Hate was given hope. Abject dumbness was glamorized as being
“the fresh voice of an outsider” who’s going to “shake things up.
” (Did anyone bother to ask how? Is he going to re-arrange the
chairs in the Roosevelt Room?) For the next four years, the
President of the United States, the same office held by Washington
and Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, F.D.R., J.F.K. and
Barack Obama, will be held by a man-boy who’ll spend his hours
exacting Twitter vengeance against all who criticize him (and
those numbers will be legion). We’ve embarrassed ourselves in
front of our children and the world.
supporters too. The Klan won last night. White nationalists.
Sexists, racists and buffoons. Angry young white men who think
rap music and Cinco de Mayo are a threat to their way of life
(or are the reason for their way of life) have been given cause
to celebrate. Men who have no right to call themselves that and
who think that women who aspire to more than looking hot are
shrill, ugly, and otherwise worthy of our scorn rather than our
admiration struck a blow for misogynistic shitheads everywhere.
Hate was given hope. Abject dumbness was glamorized as being
“the fresh voice of an outsider” who’s going to “shake things up.
” (Did anyone bother to ask how? Is he going to re-arrange the
chairs in the Roosevelt Room?) For the next four years, the
President of the United States, the same office held by Washington
and Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, F.D.R., J.F.K. and
Barack Obama, will be held by a man-boy who’ll spend his hours
exacting Twitter vengeance against all who criticize him (and
those numbers will be legion). We’ve embarrassed ourselves in
front of our children and the world.
And the world took no time to react. The Dow futures dropped
700 points overnight. Economists are predicting a deep and
prolonged recession. Our NATO allies are in a state of legitimate
fear. And speaking of fear, Muslim-Americans, Mexican-Americans
and African-Americans are shaking in their shoes. And we’d be
right to note that many of Donald Trump’s fans are not fans of
Jews. On the other hand, there is a party going on at ISIS
headquarters. What wouldn’t we give to trade this small fraction
of a man for Richard Nixon right now?
700 points overnight. Economists are predicting a deep and
prolonged recession. Our NATO allies are in a state of legitimate
fear. And speaking of fear, Muslim-Americans, Mexican-Americans
and African-Americans are shaking in their shoes. And we’d be
right to note that many of Donald Trump’s fans are not fans of
Jews. On the other hand, there is a party going on at ISIS
headquarters. What wouldn’t we give to trade this small fraction
of a man for Richard Nixon right now?
VIDEO: The Evolution of Donald Trump’s Presidential
Campaign
Campaign
So what do we do?
First of all, we remember that we’re not alone. A hundred
million people in America and a billion more around the
world feel exactly the same way we do.
million people in America and a billion more around the
world feel exactly the same way we do.
Second, we get out of bed. The Trumpsters want to see people
like us (Jewish, “coastal elites,” educated, socially progressive,
Hollywood…) sobbing and wailing and talking about moving
to Canada. I won’t give them that and neither will you. Here’s
what we’ll do…
like us (Jewish, “coastal elites,” educated, socially progressive,
Hollywood…) sobbing and wailing and talking about moving
to Canada. I won’t give them that and neither will you. Here’s
what we’ll do…
…we’ll fucking fight. (Roxy, there’s a time for this kind of
language and it’s now.) We’re not powerless and we’re not
voiceless. We don’t have majorities in the House or Senate but
we do have representatives there. It’s also good to remember
that most members of Trump’s own party feel exactly the same
way about him that we do. We make sure that the people we
sent to Washington—including Kamala Harris—take our
strength with them and never take a day off.
language and it’s now.) We’re not powerless and we’re not
voiceless. We don’t have majorities in the House or Senate but
we do have representatives there. It’s also good to remember
that most members of Trump’s own party feel exactly the same
way about him that we do. We make sure that the people we
sent to Washington—including Kamala Harris—take our
strength with them and never take a day off.
We get involved. We do what we can to fight injustice anywhere
we see it—whether it’s writing a check or rolling up our sleeves.
Our family is fairly insulated from the effects of a Trump
presidency so we fight for the families that aren’t. We fight
for a woman to keep her right to choose. We fight for the First
Amendment and we fight mostly for equality—not for
a guarantee of equal outcomes but for equal opportunities.
We stand up.
we see it—whether it’s writing a check or rolling up our sleeves.
Our family is fairly insulated from the effects of a Trump
presidency so we fight for the families that aren’t. We fight
for a woman to keep her right to choose. We fight for the First
Amendment and we fight mostly for equality—not for
a guarantee of equal outcomes but for equal opportunities.
We stand up.
America didn’t stop being America last night and we didn’t
stop being Americans and here’s the thing about Americans:
Our darkest days have always—always—been followed by ou
r finest hours.
stop being Americans and here’s the thing about Americans:
Our darkest days have always—always—been followed by ou
r finest hours.
Roxy, I know my predictions have let you down in the past, but
personally, I don’t think this guy can make it a year without
committing an impeachable crime. If he does manage to be a
douche nozzle without breaking the law for four years, we’ll make
it through those four years. And three years from now we’ll fight
like hell for our candidate and we’ll win and they’ll lose and this
time they’ll lose for good. Honey, it’ll be your first vote.
personally, I don’t think this guy can make it a year without
committing an impeachable crime. If he does manage to be a
douche nozzle without breaking the law for four years, we’ll make
it through those four years. And three years from now we’ll fight
like hell for our candidate and we’ll win and they’ll lose and this
time they’ll lose for good. Honey, it’ll be your first vote.
The battle isn’t over, it’s just begun. Grandpa fought in World
War II and when he came home this country handed him an
opportunity to make a great life for his family. I will not hand
his granddaughter a country shaped by hateful and stupid
men. Your tears last night woke me up, and I’ll never go to
sleep on you again.
War II and when he came home this country handed him an
opportunity to make a great life for his family. I will not hand
his granddaughter a country shaped by hateful and stupid
men. Your tears last night woke me up, and I’ll never go to
sleep on you again.
Love,
Dad
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article overstated
the amount by which Dow futures dropped on Wednesday
morning.
the amount by which Dow futures dropped on Wednesday
morning.
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