To my colleagues and friends in Africa:

We’re very, very sorry.

Trump’s denigrating, vulgar remarks yesterday do not reflect the vast majority of us Americans. We apologize for them and we’re horribly, unthinkably ashamed. Unfortunately a small very radical minority currently controls America. So, unfortunately, at this moment in time those remarks do represent “America” and it makes most of us Americans sick to the stomach. Ashamed isn’t a strong enough word.

Most Americans feel as aggrieved as you must.

Trump represents only about one of every 4 or 5 Americans. Remember, he didn’t win the majority of the vote. Our constitutionally enshrined minority protections were exploited to assure his victory. He won roughly 31 of every 65 votes. I realize that’s a lot more than 1 in 5, but America didn’t realize at the time how absolutely horrible a man he was.

Many Americans, probably half or more of those “31″ who voted for him did so because they so disliked Hillary Clinton. There wasn’t any other choice. It was a protest vote, and I think now they realize how horribly irresponsible protest voting is.

Probably a quarter to a third of those “31″ were contrarians, voters just so fed up with the system that they just wanted to wreck havoc. This, too, is terribly irresponsible. So a significant number of voters were very irresponsible, and I think they just so take American stability for granted that we can’t really think of them as bad. They just didn’t realize that sometimes you really have to choose the lesser of two evils rather than just neglect your responsibilities.

But another quarter to a third were bad people. They are the evil-acting Machiavellians – power brokers and political strategists who believed they could control Trump once he achieved power. They are those Republicans who today seem to rally around him, but at their increasing peril.

We’re trying everything possible to stop this behavior. Our everyday lives are disrupted reading more news, attending more protests, supporting and creating more activist groups. We’re terribly worried.

What’s happening right now – provoked by the racist remarks of yesterday – is that the Machiavellians are having to choose sides. Important politicians (like Graham, Cotton, Grassley and Ryan) very soon will either have to clearly support him or abandon him. So far they’ve tried to walk a tightrope. They won’t be able to much longer.

I don’t think impeachment is yet in the cards for a very unusual reason. The man who would then become President who you probably don’t know as well, Mike Pence, may actually be worse.

Many of you have similar situations at home, so I know you’ll understand this peculiar time in history when our government procedures – elections in particular – are not representing the actual voters. But we responsible Americans accept our special role in the world today, our unfair control of global power, and we promise you that we are doing everything we possibly can to change this disgusting situation.

Please help us. Don’t be timid criticizing America. Let’s think of this as a global effort, an effort against radical right-wing neo-Nazism. We should all abandon our tribes and predispositions and class affiliations and work together for a greater good. We struggling Americans need your support. We disavow with all our heart the despicable words of our President. Help us end this behavior.