Sir, – An old Chinese proverb says that even a stopped clock tells the right time twice daily. Finn McRedmond may well argue that Trump’s stunt in McDonald’s was one of those rare occasions when he gets it right (“The genius of Donald Trump’s McDonald’s stunt”, October 24th). She also has a point when she says we need to understand the basis of his appeal to so many Americans.
None of this, however, should tempt any of us – least of all a respected commentator like Finn McRedmond – to normalise his candidacy. He is patently unfit for office, an aberration in the history of the country that was the birthplace of democracy in the modern era.
On July 4th, 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of that birth, and it would be an obscenity if the celebration was led by someone who is defined by his disregard for democratic values. – Yours, etc,
FELIX M LARKIN,
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Dublin 18.