A Letter to the President of the United States: A Call to Unity and National Leadership

Dear Mr. President,

I write to you with respect for the office you hold and the responsibility entrusted to you by the American people. As someone who believes deeply in the promise of this country, I do not make this appeal lightly. As President of the United States, your words and actions carry a force far beyond policy—they help shape the character and direction of our national life.

In his Farewell Address of September 19, 1796, George Washington warned of the dangers of political parties, writing that they serve “to distract the Public Councils and enfeeble the Public administration” and “agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms.”

That warning was echoed weeks later by Joseph Inslee Anderson in his letter of November 2, 1796, who observed that “party…hath already taken too deep a root,” teaching citizens “to view with a jealous eye” one another, and concluded that he was “firmly convinc’d, that naught but unanimity, can long preserve, our consolidated existence.”

In an age of instant communication and constant public discourse, these warnings carry renewed urgency.

As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, we are called not only to commemorate the past, but to consider the future. This moment demands that we think carefully about how we will shape the next 250 years. No amount of names etched on buildings, nor grand structures raised in any era, can substitute for the character—or lack thereof—demonstrated in how our leaders choose to lead.

Mr. President, I recognize the intensity and sharpness of modern political life. Yet I respectfully ask that you consider the unique opportunity before you—not only to lead, but to unify. The presidency represents all Americans—those who support you and those who do not. The office you hold does not merely reflect the country—it sets its example.

With that in mind, I would urge a deliberate shift in tone, and specifically, a commitment to refrain from personal attacks or demeaning language in your public communications. Language that labels, mocks, or demeans—even when directed at political opponents—does not remain confined to politics; it shapes how Americans see one another. Whether one agrees or disagrees with those being criticized, they are still fellow citizens, bound together in a common national life.

This request is not made with the expectation that those who oppose you will respond in kind, nor should it depend on their willingness to do the same. Leadership demands, first and foremost, that we hold ourselves to the highest standard—regardless of what others may do.

There is a higher path available—one that does not require abandoning conviction, but rather elevating it. Firmness in principle can coexist with respect in expression. Indeed, it is often what gives principle its moral authority.

I urge you, Mr. President, to use your voice to help restore a sense of shared purpose—speaking not only to your supporters, but to the whole of the nation.

History will not only remember the policies of this era, but the spirit in which they were carried out. The next chapter of this nation will not be defined by what we build, but by who we choose to be.

Respectfully,

Joshua Irby