Trump’s 2020 election results in Georgia

In the Aug. 7 editorial, “Trump can’t stop tripping over himself,” you detail Donald Trump’s efforts to harangue, bully and threaten Georgia officials into changing the 2020 election results in that state, and then call that “an old dispute in which Trump was obviously wrong.” The newspaper should call it what it was — an effort by a sitting president to overthrow the legitimate results of an election so he could stay in power. It was not a “dispute,” it was a deliberate attack on our system of governance. Four years later, Trump is still bad-mouthing the officials who refused to cooperate with him. Why anyone would want this man back in the White House is beyond my comprehension.

— Gisela Meier, Orange

The 2024 election cycle

Re “The great campaign reset of 2024” (Aug. 4): The 2024 election cycle is truly one of the weirdest campaigns in modern history! Language referring to ethnicity or demonization describes the speaker’s character only. Voters deserve to hear policy discussion that will enhance American lives. The Democratic political machine ignored democracy in putting together the Harris/Walz campaign. A Democratic process was followed in the Trump/Vance campaign. In selecting Walz, another left-wing idealist, Harris revealed her true intentions. Citizens will be burdened by Harris’ ideology if she is elected. For Trump to win the nomination, he needs to put the 2020 election behind him. Both candidates have loyal supporters, and the election will be determined by independents. One man, Trump, against the machine, the Democratic Party. The “Matrix” movie series featured Neo emerging victorious over the machine. Will Trump do the same? It gets weirder every day.

— Stephen Lucas, Van Nuys

Immigration

Re “Detention facilities may face inspectors” (Aug. 4):

All four of my grandparents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900s. They did this honestly and legally, and through hard work, acquired property and made something of themselves. I think legal immigration is great, that’s how I’m here, but illegal immigration is a criminal offense, and should be treated as such. Let’s all use some common sense, something many of our lawmakers don’t have these days, and boot our current administration to the curb. Let’s elect Donald Trump as our next president, someone who cares about American citizens.

— Joseph E. Cagliero, Hemet

We need Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant and a new San Onofre as well

Re “Edison customers will pay to keep nuclear plant on” (Aug. 4):

Well, when we have rolling blackouts, and a strained energy grid, the answer is yes. Nuclear power can end all the strain on the grid and end rolling blackouts. Nuclear power is infinite energy. The reactors don’t worry about wind, or care if the sun is shining. The reactors just keep making power. Nuclear power can produce more electrical power than can be produced by wind, solar and hydro-electric power combined. Keep Diablo going. Upgrade Diablo Canyon’s reactor and build new modern reactors at San Onofre as well. Admiral Rickover was right. The Navy has operated nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers for over 50 years. We need nuclear power now more than ever! Nuclear power is the real “green new deal.”

— Kirk Felmar, San Pedro

The dangers of nuclear

The huge cost of nuclear power is not the only concern about this environmentally unfriendly form of energy. All nuclear power plants regularly discharge radioactive waste into the atmosphere and waterways. SONGS just announced another discharge Aug. 7, a 24,550-gallon dump off San Onofre State Beach. They have been doing this since the 1960s and no one knows if this radioactivity contributes to making cancer the No. 1 killer in California. In recent years, nuclear industry pressure twice blocked attempts by the National Academy of Sciences to study cancer for those who live near SONGS. Gov. Newsom should be ashamed of himself for orchestrating the plan to block the scheduled closing of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

— Roger Johnson, San Clemente