Donald Trump does not deserve the benefit of the doubt

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Police have been investigating a wave of alleged hate crimes against ethnic minorities and the LGBT community in the wake of the US election (AP)

Trump doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt

There are times for editorials to offer a benefit of the doubt. This is not one of them.

Donald Trump’s rhetoric to gain the presidency was intolerant and has propagated a culture of hate. If, as your editorial in The Independent on Sunday seeks to imply, this was just a means to gain power it is a tactic that is indefensible and unworthy of anyone seeking the highest office in their nation. Hazlitt once said: “the greater the lie the more enthusiastically it is believed and greedily swallowed.”

Your later report on the increase on racial hate since the election indicates that some have most certainly “swallowed the lie” and are now vengefully inflicting hate on their fellow citizens.

Donald Trump deserves no benefit of the doubt.

Peter Crockett
Royal Wootton Bassett
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Don't worry about The Donald. He is transitioning from vacuous policy to policy vacuum.

Rodney Lunn
Addingham, West Yorks
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Remembrance Sunday should remind us we are stronger together

On Remembrance Sunday, let us not forget that we owe so much to so many people, across the Commonwealth, who came to our aid during two world wars.

In times of trouble and stress, people need to stand side by side with their neighbours regardless of faith or nationality to defeat any movement which is bringing hate and division to our communities.

Many different nationalities and people of different religions fought for us then, let us fight for them now.

Nicki Bartlett
Cardiff
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Trump’s victory was not a triumph of the people, but his victory was well-deserved

I find myself in vehement disagreement with Marine Le Pen’s delusion that the landslide victory of President-elect Donald Trump in the US presidential election is tantamount to the triumph of the people against the elitists.

We are not witnessing an American spring, reminiscent of the Arab spring where masses revolted against tyrannical leaderships across the Arab world.

We should not fall into the trap of canonising Donald Trump as a saint, making him the voice of the voiceless, the marginalised and the downtrodden in societies.

Trump was never a saint or a Martin Luther King or a Nelson Mandela who strove for civil liberties and human rights against slavery and human indecency.

He is himself an elitist, a billionaire who enjoyed years of popularity mixing with the glamorous and powerful.

He never worried about paying a bill, a prescription, GP’s fee, a rent or ever struggled to cope with everyday life or worried about job prospects like anyone of us.

People have seen and heard Hillary Clinton as a first lady and as a secretary of state. She was manipulative on the economic stagnation, unemployment, uncontrolled migration, the failure in domestic and foreign policies (Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine) and the prospect of a cold war with Russia.

She tried to whip up women’s votes by claiming to be the first nominee to shatter the glass ceiling and reclaim women rights. That was her only asset to contend with.

Trump spoke with candour and courage and hit the nail on the head on many issues. His victory was well deserved.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London