It is dangerous to ignore Donald Trump’s threats but it is not helpful to overreact (“Why I still believe in America”, Opinion, January 9).
What if we were to calmly question the plausibility of his preposterous statements before we panic, instead of shrinking from them in horror and declaring American democracy headed for extinction?
When Trump says he will indict his political enemies, we should ask ourselves how likely it is, that in a country with a powerful system of laws, where indictments are handed down by a grand jury after hearing evidence in a courtroom presided over by a judge, he would be successful at ordering show trials. Does he plan to dismantle the law of the land? Wave a magic wand? I doubt he could answer the question if you asked him.
It is hard to believe Trump has the doggedness or self-discipline to bring down our constitutional framework. I have faith that there are large numbers of unpolled voters who will decide that Trump is an unreliable choice to lead the country.
Margaret McGirr
Greenwich, CT, US
