Dear PDC members and followers:
In an era of constant bombardment of attention-grabbing messaging designed to influence our perspectives and actions, like all of you I’m sure, I try mightily to maintain objectivity and clarity in that storm. One method I have is to ask myself rhetorical questions that go to the very core of an issue with which I’m wrestling. While out on a morning walk today one such question popped into my brain that I would like to pose to all of you –
How many people worldwide have died or will die because our country elected Donald Trump?
I thought of expanding the question to “how many people have died or will die, or have suffered” but that number feels too overwhelming and incalculable for my brain. (Many of you are probably familiar with the idea of a “Fermi problem.” ) At first blush, the following occurred to me:
- Our bombing of Iran – the total death toll of the ongoing 2026 war in Iran has reached over 7,100 across the region.
- The elimination of USAID – projections estimate that the elimination and defunding of USAID could result in 14 million to 23 million preventable deaths globally by 2030.
- Caribbean boat strikes – at least 205 people have been killed in U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats across the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
- DHS immigration crackdown – at least 29 people have died while in ICE custody and at least 5 people have been shot and killed.
- Reversal of Roe v. Wade – though difficult to track, investigative reports and public health research attribute dozens of maternal deaths and hundreds of infant deaths.
And I’m sure there are things I’m not recalling.
Over the last several weeks I have participated in a pop-up protest over the Trump administration’s actions held every Thursday at the intersection of Sun City Blvd. and Del Webb Blvd. from 11:00 to noon. While many passersby have been supportive, many have not. One frequent refrain from Trump supporters is a shout about how the Dow is at record highs, and we saw Pam Bondi use the same statement in her Congressional testimony. In short, a big chunk of folks are saying it’s ok for people to die so long as they get wealthier. To be clear, I am very in favor of policies that allow people to prosper, but for me the tradeoff here is unacceptable.
The cliché that “elections have consequences” has never seemed more unsettling. We’re headed to the polls again this year. Let’s make it count.
