Republican president Donald Trump has been using the almost laughable argument of national security to rationalize his imposing of tariffs on our friends and allies. I say almost laughable, because there is nothing funny about it. Nothing at all.

One needs to understand a little history to understand how we got where we are today. Post World War II, the U.S. led an effort to stabilize the world, decrease nationalism, and decrease the dangerous game of numerous countries trying to build up their military muscle. We led the formation of the UN to oversee the world and help foster peace.

We led the formation of NATO to insure a strong European alliance and deter an invading force or belligerent country deciding to start a war. Attack one of us, and you attack all of us.

We formed trade partnerships to link countries economically. If you’re economic success depends on your neighbors, you’re less likely to start a war with them. Especially if their economic success also depends on you!

So all these organizations and trade deals go far deeper than we see on the surface. Unfortunately, Donald Trump prides himself on his ignorance and unwillingness to listen to others or consider facts. He is a legend in his own mind and can’t imagine anyone knows more than he does. After all, he tells us he is a very stable genius. But he doesn’t read, doesn’t understand or study history, and is woefully unprepared for virtually every task he undertakes.

We’ve got a Republican president starting trade wars, weakening alliances, and upsetting the world order. And we’ve got a Republican president calling for the ending of sanctions on Chinese telephone manufacturer ZTE. This is a company that our government had decided was a real and present threat to national security. For years, our national security organizations have expressed concerns that ZTE equipment may be used by the Chinese government for espionage or network disruption. That is truly a national security nightmare. But our Republican president and his questionable cabinet, have decided we need to back off so that ZTE can survive. And this isn’t a company that was just guilty a national security threat. Around the world, they’ve been caught using corrupt business practices such as bribery, over-billing, and serial rule-breaking. His answer? A fine and removal of the sanctions!

And just today, the president told the G-7 that Russia should be admitted back into the organization and it should return to being the G-8. Russia was expelled because it invaded Crimea, and forcibly and illegally took that territory from Ukraine. Russia has also interfered in elections around the world. And it backs Syria’s Assad, a brutal dictator that has repeatedly used chemical weapons on his own citizens. Again, this is the stuff of national security nightmares. And yet, the republican president and his cabinet seem completely oblivious to the very real threats. They want to REWARD them by letting them back into the G-8!

Meanwhile, a republican congress sits on its hands and does absolutely nothing. It makes no efforts to reign him in. It makes no efforts to honestly investigate why and how these things are happening. It makes no effort to change the rules so that our country is safe.

Which leads me to the conclusion that Donald J Trump, a Republican and the President of the United States is a direct threat to national security. And by playing along with him, the republican congress is a similar threat.

There is really only one solution. As much as I hate to be a single issue voter, I think that everyone should be strongly compelled to vote for Democrats in the November election as a measure to protect our country’s security. Because if republicans remain in control, there is no telling where this horrible travesty will lead. There is no end in site.