Whether it’s ICE abuse, rising grocery prices, tariffs, Trump has unleashed chaos | Opinion

Escalating chaos

Our federal government now specializes in escalated chaos. ICE rappelling from Black Hawk helicopters in the middle of the night to break down doors and zip tie children. Putting migrants on planes to South Sudan. Blowing up Venezuelan boats with no warning. Cancelling federally funded projects in blue states. Proposing to use U.S. cities as training grounds for our military. Creating secret lists of domestic terrorist organizations, based on the groups’ views on family values, religion, race and immigration.

One action that this administration is unlikely to undertake: releasing the Epstein files.

Krisia Rosa, Lexington

Qatar base chaos

President Donald Trump calls American soldiers who have died defending this country ‘suckers and losers’. But Trump is allowing a foreign government to build an Air Force base on American soil. By allowing this, we as a nation are suckers and losers.

Bob Sutton, Springfield

Double standard

The White House had declared that the early release of Ronald Exantus was unacceptable.

How amusing that it would even comment on an action that does not seem to fit the crime. The current occupant of the White House (I abhor using his name) is most assuredly not in any position to pass judgment on the outcome of a crime. They have made a mockery of the very standards that make us a democracy. The big buffoon that sits in the now gilded Oval Office has made it very clear that he thinks he is above the law and uses his power like a giant whip to beat the masses into submission to his will. He has surrounded himself with a cadre of sycophants who are as delusional and power hungry as he is, and have thrown our country into a state of total chaos and uncertainty as to the survival of the people’s democracy.

He shakes is fist like a baby would shake a rattle, yet his actions have consequences. He should be in prison along with Exantus, because his actions are putting men, women and children’s lives in peril.

Sara Wellnitz, Lexington

Rising prices

Remember when grocery prices started to drastically increase during Covid? Kroger and Walmart were taking advantage of the situation. Both stores vowed to lower prices as soon as possible. I stated then that those price increases were here to stay. Both stores continued to report record profits for the next two years. I said there was no way people who were in the business of making money were going to stop themselves from making even more money! I predicted grocery prices would remain elevated, and that they would only increase from now on. I said, “We will never see pre-Covid prices again!” Even if Kroger and Walmart could lower prices, I don’t think they would. I thought they were both bringing in too much money to want lower prices.

President Donald Trump has opened a can of worms on his own country! All he cares about is stuffing as much money into his offshore bank accounts that he can over the next three years and two months. He loves billionaires. He stands in front of them several times a year to tell them again and again that, “We are going to make so much money while I’m president!”

Yolanda Averette, Lexington

Kudos to Massie

I am not in his district but want U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to know that as a Democrat, I admire his independence and recent stands to release the Epstein files and against the interference of the Trump administration in higher education. I wish more Republicans had his courage to fight for what is right rather than to kowtow to what is politically expedient.

Jean Wolph, Prospect

Economic chaos

President Donald Trump replied to a reporter’s question about when the American people would see the economic results from the tariffs. He said, “Eventually.”

The definition of this word is: “sometime in the future.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had the same mind-set as Trump? We could go buy a $600,000 house and tell the bank we will make the payments “eventually.”

Only in Trump’s mindset do such things exist. We mere mortals must eat, pay our bills and feed our kids. Thanks to Trump’s tariffs these things are getting harder.

Thanks to Trump’s tariffs, a country that has been our trading partner for over 200 years (Canada) has turned its back on one of Kentucky’s leading exports — bourbon — costing millions of dollars. When we don’t sell bourbon, we don’t get tax revenue. Corn farmers don’t sell grain. Grocery stores don’t sell food. Drug stores don’t dispense, and people live in pain or stay sick.

I wish Trump or one of his androids like U.S. Reps. Andy Barr or James Comer, both R-Ky., would be forced to tell the parent of a sick child, “I know your child is sick and may die, but everything will be better ‘eventually.’”

Damian Beach, Frankfort

Salvation

Once you have seen the global mind on evil, it cannot be unseen. You cannot turn your back on it or walk away from it and not be complicit in it. You can only devote all of your energy to fighting it, if you are to remain good.

The global mind of evil is insidious and diabolic. Evil thrives on vanity as a maw to devour one’s energy morsel by morsel, using the lard of self-centeredness and narcissism to flavor each bite. Its honey is lies that hardens the heart into blackened amber garnished with self-righteousness, calling such a meal “Divine” and selling it in its temples under the banner of salvation.

Only love allows you the clarity to see this reality, and only courage allows you to continue to fight it. Only love will fortify the soul and supply one with energy to constantly hold its ground and to continue on, no matter how painful the struggle and horror.

Our best weapon is genuine love and the truth. As long as humanity persists it may yet prevail.

I am asking only what every divine energy asks – to love one another. That is your salvation.

Robert Moreland, Lexington

Edited by Liz Carey

This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 10:48 AM.