OPINION: DOLLY PARTON'S AMERICA WAS THE OPPOSITE OF DONALD TRUMP'S
The following summarizes an opinion column by Melissa Dimondstein, a retired postal worker and community organizer, published Sept. 2, 2026, and distributed via OtherWords.org. The views expressed are the author's own.
In the wake of Dolly Parton's death on Aug. 25, Dimondstein argues in her column that the country icon embodied values she sees as fundamentally at odds with those of President Donald Trump. The op-ed opens by noting frustration with public figures the author feels opposed Parton's values now attempting to claim her legacy — pointing specifically to Trump's past claims that Parton supported him, including a fabricated AI-generated photo purporting to show the two together. Parton's sister Stella publicly disputed the characterization, calling Trump's behavior "deranged, ugly, and nasty."
OtherWords
Dimondstein contrasts what she describes as Parton's humility — including the singer's decision to decline the Presidential Medal of Freedom on three separate occasions, saying she didn't feel she deserved it — with what the author characterizes as self-aggrandizing behavior from the president. The column also draws a line between Parton's Imagination Library, a literacy initiative founded in tribute to her father, and recent White House budget proposals seeking cuts to library and literacy funding.
The piece goes on to cite Parton's public support for LGBTQ inclusion, her past comments in favor of Black Lives Matter, and her appearances promoting inclusivity on PBS's "Sesame Street," contrasting these with the administration's stance on diversity initiatives and its funding cuts to public broadcasting. Dimondstein also points to Parton's decades as a union member and her charitable contributions to medical research, including COVID-19 vaccine research, framing these against federal policy changes affecting collective bargaining rights and research funding under the current administration.
The column closes by urging readers to honor Parton's legacy through generosity and kindness, and recommends revisiting her 1980 film "9 to 5."