Trump’s achievements overshadowed by his personality

It is a measure of the personal dislike of Donald Trump among his critics that they will pay tribute to his staff, but not to the man himself for the significant achievements during his four-year term.

Trump’s visceral understanding of the people that was evidenced by 74 million votes, with a record number of African-American and Latino voters, should also be acknowledged along with the selection of his staff.

Trump had the ability to gather around him staff in the White House who had their finger on the pulse of domestic and foreign policy to a degree that it resulted in many noteworthy achievements in a single four-year term that will be marked favourably by future historians.

It is a tragedy that the assessment of our leaders today focuses far more on their individual personalities than on the actual performance of their duties in the job they are elected to do.

John Bell, Heidelberg Heights, Vic

The considerable achievements of the Trump administration included some restoration of American manufacturing, wage rises for the poorest workers, brokering three Middle Eastern peace treaties and the withdrawal of US troops from foreign conflicts as promised. However, none of this considerable legacy would have been possible without the superb loyalty and hard work of the mild-mannered gentleman from Indiana former vice-president Mike Pence. Pence brought a much-needed political and temperamental balance to the Trump-Pence ticket and was able to reassure America’s allies of continued US engagement in the world. President Trump and the American people have much cause to be thankful for the public service of Michael R. Pence.

Peter Curtis, Werribee South, Vic

Greg Craven’s analysis of Donald Trump as an authoritarian populist is perceptive (“Hints of Trumpism in Andrews, McGowan”, 20/1). But the figure in history Trump most closely resembles is not Napoleon Bonaparte but Benito Mussolini,

Both men re-energised a demoralised country ground down by war and sought to rekindle the dream of a glorious past. But like all historical comparisons, the similarities soon fall short. Trump came to power democratically, not by blackshirt violence, and he did not, could not, suppress the critical press. There are similarities in their posturing, but the former president’s chirping via Twitter was but a pale echo of the Italian dictator’s thundering speechifying.

The end for both came from overreaching, betrayed by a lack of self-perception, poor judgment and reliance on the wrong people.

Geoffrey Luck, Killara, NSW

Greg Craven tackles the Trump story with an interesting line. Trump could have used any political party as his vehicle. Just change a few policies and a left-wing party that had been out of power for a couple of terms would find a way to accommodate him. This is a poor comparison but Labor would have known that Kevin Rudd was going to be a handful as prime minister, but fell in behind him once his popularity over the tired Howard government was established.

Murray Horne, Cressy, Vic

All reasonable people were horrified by the recent mob attack on the bastion of American democracy. But why does state-sponsored human rights abuses in China not receive the same condemnation by politicians, feminists and the commentariat?

It is estimated that about one million minorities, predominantly Uighurs, have been imprisoned in mass detention camps in Xinjiang. As well as arbitrary imprisonment, the right to freedom of religion and expression has been curtailed. More recent examples of forced labour and mass sterilisation should alarm us all.

We should not allow our political leanings to determine what is condemned and what is allowed to be perpetrated without public criticism. Abuse of human rights wherever it occurs should be universally condemned.

Jennie George, Mollymook, NSW

A Trump memorial library (“President to tap donors for $2.6bn to build biggest memorial of them all”, 20/1)? They’re kidding. He said he relied on gut feeling and was reported to have read or written very little, so the library capacity would be minimal, leaving loads of room to glorify that giant ego.

Peter Riddington, Forestville, NSW