To the Editor:

Former state Sen. James Sheehan, a teacher of civics and U.S. history, has earned a failing grade in fairness when it comes to his treatment of President Donald Trump. (“Trump tests our checks and balances,” March 27)

For example, Sheehan faults Trump because he “hand-picked department heads whose top qualification was unquestioning loyalty to Trump himself.” But what president hasn’t held his Cabinet members to that same standard?

How does Trump’s expectation of loyalty differ from President Biden’s cabinet appointees who unquestioningly covered up for Biden’s declining cognitive function for four years, all to the detriment of our nation? Regarding their duplicitous behavior, Sheehan is silent.

Sheehan criticizes Trump’s use of tariffs as causing “erratic trade wars with our close trading partners, such as Canada.” Well, these “close trading partners” have been exploiting unfair and outdated trade polices to the detriment of American workers for years. On this subject, Sheehan sides with the Canadians; President Trump, in sharp contrast, puts the interests of American workers first.

Sheehan also faults President Trump for calling out the abuse of power by radical judges such as Obama-appointed James Boasberg. Sheehan neglects to mention that this specter of judicial overreach was anticipated by founding father Thomas Jefferson, who opposed the Judiciary Act of 1801 for that very reason.

Intervention by left-wing activist judges is compromising President Trump’s ability to execute the duties of his office in a timely fashion. It proves Jefferson was right about the threat of judicial tyranny.

Sheehan claims to endorse our system of “checks and balances.” But at the same time, he dismisses the need to put any check on the power of “judicial authority.” That obvious contradiction is particularly unfair to President Trump.

A. H. Liddle
Warwick