Read Aaron Sorkin’s Inspiring Letter to His Daughter After Trump’s Win
Image by Getty
By Thea Glassman November 10, 2016
After Donald Trump won the presidential election Tuesday night, “The West Wing” and “Newsroom” creator Aaron Sorkin penned a powerful open letter to his wife and daughter.
The note, which appeared in full on Vanity Fair, began by lamenting the win of an “incompetent pig with dangerous ideas” and discussing the repercussions that may follow.
“Economists are predicting a deep and prolonged recession. Our NATO allies are in a state of legitimate fear,” he wrote. “And speaking of fear, Muslim-Americans, Mexican-Americans and African-Americans are shaking in their shoes. And we’d be right to note that many of Donald Trump’s fans are not fans of Jews.”
But he didn’t moan for long. Instead, he talked about jumping into action.
“The Trumpsters want to see people like us (Jewish, “coastal elites,” educated, socially progressive, Hollywood…) sobbing and wailing and talking about moving to Canada. I won’t give them that and neither will you,” he explained.
Sorkin said the next move is to “f—cking fight.” He advocated standing up together for equality, for the First Amendment and for a woman’s right to choose. He pointed out that while his family will be mostly protected from any possible discrimination, he will fight for the families who are not. He pushed for support of the Democrats who will be serving in Washington.
The battle isn’t over, he said.
“Grandpa fought in World War II and when he came home this country handed him an opportunity to make a great life for his family,” Sorkin wrote. “I will not hand his granddaughter a country shaped by hateful and stupid men. Your tears last night woke me up, and I’ll never go to sleep on you again.”
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news. All donations are still being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000 until April 24.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
