Daniel Levin (50), a Democrat from Boca Raton, FL, is a past president of the southeast region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and served as a member of the Reform Movement’s Think Tank, a group focused on planning the movement’s future. He has also served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
Has Donald Trump’s presidency turned out the way you thought it would when he was elected back in 2016? Is it better or worse than you expected?
In many ways, his presidency is what I feared, and in other ways it is even worse. It is overwhelming for me when I think about how the institutions of government whose mission is to serve and protect our people have been eviscerated.
Did Donald Trump fulfill his campaign promises?
He has stocked the Federal bench with 200 judges with lifetime appointments, several who were not even recommended by the American Bar Association. In all likelihood, that will be one of the lasting imprints of his presidency.
Do you have any concerns about the general election?
My concern is that the post-office has been deliberately subverted and will have a difficult time handling the volume of ballots to be cast by mail. I am concerned that Donald Trump will cast so much doubt on the fairness of the election that he will refuse to leave office after his defeat, and that his supporters will take up arms against a newly elected administration.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am deeply worried about the future of American democracy. I fear there has been an erosion of faith in the institutions of government, and that loss of faith shakes the foundations of our government. The level of animosity and anger, even visceral hatred, between people of different political ideologies is terrifying. I fear that the damage we are inflicting on our country, on our society, and on our world may be irreparable unless we come together as a nation, lay aside our animosities and differences, and decide it is better to preserve the Union than our tribal loyalties.