I thought Trump wouldn't be that bad. I was wrong. | Your Turn

I was worried when Donald Trump was reelected president because he told us what he was going to do to people who had tried to hold him accountable – and he had Elon Musk by his side spouting about his plans.

However, you also always think. "Oh, it can't really be that bad." But, as it turned out, it can.

With Project 2025 as his playbook and Stephen Miller whispering in his ear, it has been worse than any of us could have imagined. Musk and his geek squad destroyed important government agencies. Trump immediately started his revenge administration and chose "yes" people for his Cabinet, with the majority not being qualified.

I am praying the midterm elections will give us at least one house of Congress to try to hold this administration in check. If not, "1984" is definitely here!

In Trump's mind, success means taking complete control of all the branches of government, ignoring laws with no repercussions, grifting the United States and putting as much money in his and his family's pockets as he can – essentially playing as king. Or put another way, destroying democratic policies and not following the Constitution.

As for his biggest mistake, it would be how he has used Immigration and Customs Enforcement – taking money from other needed programs and using it to increase the size of ICE, then sending these people, with masks and little training, to terrorize cities and states.

He said he would deport criminals. That's not what he is doing. ICE, our American Gestapo agents, are acting like thugs and killing innocent people – as far as we know, because there are no trials to prove it one way or the other. It is a tragedy for our country and for all the world to see.

Of course, there are so many more mistakes and failures of this president, such as ridiculing our neighbors like Canada and democratic countries that are our friends. It will take a long time to clean up the mess he has made ... if we can.

My community is like every other community his policies are hurting. In Democratic states that don't support him, he has taken his revenge by cutting funding that helps people in need. He has made our colleges stop all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or risk losing funding. ICE is in Columbus, Ohio, not far from my town. We are waiting for the backlash.

We have thousands on Medicaid that will now not get health care. Help from the Department of Education with our school programs is no longer available. Everything his agencies have touched has hurt our state. They don't care about middle class and poor Americans, that is apparent!

How about announcing he is president of the whole U.S. and not just MAGA states? How about getting out of his gold-plated tower and actually helping the everyday person, reinstating the many programs that former President Joe Biden had begun that helped the whole country – yes, even Republican states, because many of them need it the most.

How about putting the money back into children's cancer research and other medical research? How about stopping the bombing of foreign countries and getting back to helping Americans? How about taking his name off of a memorial for a president who died in his country's service and waiting his turn for a fitting memorial to him?

— Claire Kessler, Ohio

More thoughts from readers on Trump's first year

I think Trump is doing an amazing job ridding the country of fraud, waste and abuse. America is a superpower and I, for one, am not ashamed of that title. Basically he's saving this country that was truly on the edge of collapse due to failing policies of prior administrations. We are a proud people and we deserve to shout that from the rooftops should we wish to.

— Donna Alderman, Virginia 

I have been waiting for a president like this, and I have never been so proud to be an American. President Trump has finally brought the bar higher. We need smart people to run this country and it is finally happening. I wish he could go for four more years. We don't deserve him.

— Kelly Lawrence, Michigan

I think we are much better off than we were under Biden and the Democrats. I do not like everything he has done, but I think President Trump’s global policies will make us safer. As far as affordability goes, how do you overcome the inflation rate we had under Biden? I think he is trying, but lowering prices is going to be hard.

— Sharon Van Liew, Montana

This piece was submitted as part of USA TODAY's Forum, a new space for conversation. See what we're talking about at usatoday.com/forum and share your perspective at [email protected].