Theodore Roosevelt often referred to the Presidency as a “bully pulpit,” meaning that it was a powerful platform to shape public opinion and advocate for his agenda, but Roosevelt used the word “bully” in its original meaning of “superb” or “wonderful.”

Unfortunately, Donald Trump is just using the Presidency to bully anyone who disagrees or opposes him, and too many federal officials, particularly Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and Pete Hegseth, are following that example.

The ICE agent who killed Renee Good didn’t shoot her because she attacked him, but because she politely “disrespected” him… and neither ICE nor DOJ will even look into charging that agent for murder. Death for polite disrespect, and not even a hint of interest in justice? Not to mention baldly lying about the actual circumstances of the shooting.

Pete Hegseth is gunning for Senator Mark Kelly for quoting a part of longstanding military doctrine that Hegseth doesn’t like, possibly because Hegseth follows the Nixon doctrine that no command by the President can be illegal. Trump is going after Jerome Powell, whom he originally appointed, because Powell won’t push for lower interest rates the way Trump wants. Trump’s also trying to punish any city or state that voted against him. He even took away aid for a water pipeline in Lauren Boebert’s district (one of his strongest MAGA representatives in Congress) because Colorado hasn’t “fallen in line.”

There are scores of other examples, large and small, and far too many Americans seem indifferent to what’s happening… at least until it affects them.

No one and no country is off-limits. Right now, Denmark and Greenland are targets because they understandably don’t want Greenland purchased or annexed by the U.S. Earlier, Trump targeted Canada because Canadians don’t want to be “the fifty-first state” and because Ottawa put up large posters declaring, “Tariffs Are a Tax on Hard-Working Americans,” reminding Americans that Trump is part of the cause of higher U.S. prices.

If you’re a public figure and you say or write something that Trump and his lackeys don’t like (especially if it’s true), you risk having your life torn apart, if not worse. And heaven forbid you try to point out, even politely, illegalities to ICE.

I much prefer Theodore Roosevelt’s “bully pulpit” to Trump’s… and so should thoughtful Americans.