Donald Trump and post-truth politics

Sir, – Further to your editorial "Donald Trump's approach – If you tell a lie, tell a whopper" (March 7th), given Donald Trump's reckless and vindictive penchant for aberration, bombast and vacuity, one has to at least admire his consistency in terms of a consummate grasp of the shallow, the petty, the puerile and the "alternative factual". How long the American people will indulge his antics is surely the ultimate teaser of the month. Only 55 days to go until the 100-day milestone. Will he make it to then still at the helm? That's the $64 million poser. Of course, that sum is nothing to be sneezed at. It could, for instance, cover a lifetime supply of Sellotape for anchoring one's necktie in any storm. But that only works for non-brass necks, and not in storms of one's own making. – Yours, etc,

JIM COSGROVE,

Lismore,

Co Waterford.

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Sir, – Your editorial of March 7th deals with the latest irresponsible Twitter rant from Donald Trump. His malicious charge against former US president Barack Obama has been emphatically labelled as false by two major authoritative sources. There are two equally disturbing aspects of Mr Trump’s behaviour in this matter: he either deliberately made a claim he knew to be false, and which could be shown to be false but he decided to commit the act regardless; or he does not understand the difference between a baseless accusation on an extremist website and fact-based reality. This is not the first instance of Mr Trump making claims which were totally unsupported by facts. All of this again brings to the fore serious concerns that Mr Trump is manifestly unsuited to be president of the United States. – Yours, etc,

DAN DONOVAN,

Dungarvan,

Co Waterford.