The Republican Party

In your article June 21, “Anti-MAGA Republicans mobilize in California,” former Congresswoman Mimi Walters delineates the new organization’s values: adherence to the Constitution, fiscal responsibility, free enterprise and “a peace through strength” foreign policy.

Democrats believe in those principles as well but it’s interesting to note she said nothing about social issues, which is where the rubber meets the road for many if not most voters, especially in California.

— Ron Garber, Duarte

U.S. airstrikes on nuclear facilities

Re “Alarm grows after U.S. bombs Iran” (June 23):

The headline and the lead of this article were all about what Iran might do in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of their nuclear bomb making and storage facilities. Should not the headline for anyone who lives in this nation be the fact that Iran’s nuclear bomb ambitions have in all likelihood been set back many years?

Iran’s leaders for decades have screamed “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” If you take them at their word, surely letting them acquire the bomb would constitute an existential threat to this country.

Of course in doing so you would have to credit Trump for doing what could only be described as a good thing!

— James A. Greet, Banning

Yes, we can keep the Republic

Doug McIntyre takes great pride June 22 in partaking in a “No Kings” protest — an outgrowth of Judge Breyer’s decision asserting that Trump was not a king and could not use the National Guard in the L.A. riots. McIntyre is deeply concerned for our “Republic” and questions, as Benjamin Franklin long ago questioned, can we keep it?

He also queries whether Trump understands the three co-equal branches of government.

The same should be asked of Judge Breyer, who was overruled unanimously by an appellate court. The Constitution designates the president as commander in chief, not any judge. The appellate court unanimously found Trump well within congressional statutory authority to deploy the National Guard to protect federal ICE agents and federal buildings. And to address McIntyre’s question, the answer is yes, we can keep our Republic — and the National Guard is useful for just that purpose.

— Gregory F. Wirzbicki, Yorba Linda