Dear President Trump:

Let’s face it, things are not going well for you these days. In a previous post I spoke of the need for you to give up on your promise to build a wall on our border with Mexico.

During your campaign you made several promises that your base never really took seriously. You promised to lock up Secretary Clinton. You promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

You made these promises because your base believed that you knew how to make deals. They read with devotion from your book The Art of the Deal.

And let’s face it: you thought yourself untouchable. During the campaign you bragged that your support was so strong that you could stand in middle of 5th Avenue and shoot someone and not lose any votes.

But to your horror your base expects you keep your promise to build the wall. The political commentator and author Ann Coulter has already turned on you.

So what now?

Well, you are clear in your book that when negotiating a deal you should never be afraid to walk away. That was easy when you leveraged your father’s money to build something, but the President negotiates in an entirely different world and neither you nor your base ever figured that out.

Funding the government isn’t just another deal: it’s an imperative for our nation. Last month you walked away from the table with Congress which resulted in 800,000 federal employees and more than 1,000,000 contractors not being paid. In fairness it was assumed that the federal employees would receive back pay, but the it’s worth noting that the contractors likely will not.

Our government doesn’t need a real estate developer with mixed results and several bankruptcies, it needs someone who understands that a deal must be made. It needs someone who understands that this is the real world and your petulance (and fear of losing your base) affects the lives of real people who want nothing more than to serve their country. It needs someone who understands that families who live from paycheck to paycheck are not irresponsible.

President Trump, I understand that your ego and insecurity demand that you win your reelection at all costs, and that while strong leaders command respect, you crave approval. I understand that you honestly believe you will be remembered as a successful President. And I understand your greatest fear lies in the possibility that you will be held accountable, even by your base, by your actions.

Frankly I don’t envy you. From North Korea to Russian interference to your inability to keep talented staff, nearly nothing you’ve done has realized success. I know this isn’t what you signed onto. But the rest of us live in a world where we accept the consequences of our actions and move on.

At the very least I encourage you to step out of the 2020 election, and perhaps you need to admit you’re in over your head and resign.

Seriously, call me.