Mother Jones illustration; Kevin Dietsch/Getty
The first time I noticed it was last month, when he asked for a hug.
And not just any hug. “I could use a HUGE MAGA hug!” he wrote. “I love you. Do you STILL love me?” The love note was adorned with little hearts—and a request that I send him some money.
I didn’t respond.
Two hours later, another email. “Did you block me?” he asked in the subject line. “Are my messages getting through?”
The next day, he sent me half-a-dozen more notes—from two different email addresses.
8:25 am: “I’m attaching the letter I wrote to you”
9:48 am: “Don’t reject me!”
11:53 am: “Please confirm receipt of this email!”
1:25 pm: “Do not freeze me out”
7:27 pm: “I’m asking with an open heart”
10:40 pm: “Are my messages getting through?”
It was starting to sound kind of desperate. “Respectfully I’m asking, DO YOU STILL LOVE ME?” the president wrote. “I might be overthinking things. Here’s why: My love language is MAGA, and I need to confirm one last thing with you before I hit the hay.”
He asked me to fill out a survey and, of course, to send him money. But mostly he just wanted me to know: “I miss you.”
It all began to feel a bit creepy. I started thinking through his past letters; there had been a lot. Did I miss a few red flags?
Maybe it had started the morning of January 7, when he wrote that he’d “set aside some time just for” me, then followed up two hours later with: “Happy Anniversary?” It wasn’t really our anniversary. I guess he was talking about his work anniversary, which was still a couple of weeks away.
Things started getting pretty intense after that.
January 10, 4:09 pm: “Hello? Is anyone there?”
January 12, 3:52 pm: “Ouch, this is starting to hurt…”
January 12, 7:27 pm: “I’m alone and in the dark.”
It went on like this. I don’t know why he sometimes calls me “Bronte” when he tells me he needs me. His son even reached out.
I still haven’t written back. I’m not sure what I’d say. He doesn’t seem to be taking the hint.
February 1, 1:23 pm: “I’m asking with an open heart! – Will you show that you STILL love me?”
February 2, 12:05 pm: “Did you block me?”
February 2, 2:03 pm: “Pick up the phone PLEASE!”
February 2, 4:25 pm: “I love you, so will you fix this for me?”
Now it’s an “emergency,” and he’s quoting love songs.
I hope he’s doing OK. I hope there’s someone he can talk to. Valentine’s Day can get pretty depressing when you’re historically unpopular.
