An Open Letter to the President-elect of the USA

Dear Mr Trump

I do not expect that you will ever see, let alone read, this letter from an interested observer in the United Kingdom, but that has not stopped me from writing it.

Congratulations upon your election as the 45^th President of the United States of America. Your victory was a truly extraordinary one, contrary to the expectations of pundits and pollsters. You will stand on the shoulders of some truly great predecessors such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, all of whom had either been military or political leaders before they took office. You alone come from neither of these backgrounds, a disadvantage perhaps but on the other hand allowing you to bring a fresh perspective to the task that lies before you.

The battle for the presidency between Mrs Clinton and yourself was a highly acrimonious one. Both of you said things which I suspect you now regret. You probably will not literally wish to carry out some of your campaign promises. You would surely prefer magnanimity now to any course of action which included the prosecution of your defeated opponent over her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. Your nation is at present as polarised as it has been for many years, regionally, racially, across urban/rural divides and across social classes. The truly presidential approach should surely be to heal and not to widen these divisions.

Every American will know by heart this core sentence in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It took the best part of two centuries for these principles to be fully applied, with the abolition of slavery, emancipation of women and equal treatment of all races. But that is now where we are, and you will need to watch, and indeed tightly rein in, any of your supporters who believe that your election will lead to a turning back of this particular clock.

Some of the things you have said and also probably done offer a threat to the dignity and safety of women. One assumes that many who voted for you accepted your apology or at least elected you despite these question marks over your past and indeed over your character. I hope you will take every possible step to ensure that your country knows that misogyny has no place in its 21^st century future. You will no doubt realise your personal importance as a guardian of American values. Parents and teachers need your help, both in word and deed, in educating future citizens in those values. You received support from a majority of American Christians, who will be looking to you to provide a strong moral lead.

Your commercial experience has shown you the importance of having key personnel in key positions. You know that the President cannot do everything, and you know exactly where the buck stops. You have already shown that you can see the advantage of creative tension in making your initial staff appointments. It is surely high time that the office of Vice-President should be a stronger and more executive position than it has been for a long time. I hope that you are able to assemble a high quality team, covering a range of opinions, in the West Wing and in Cabinet positions. You will need to listen carefully to much accumulated wisdom, not discarding it simply because it emerges from the political establishment.

You believe that your understanding of commerce and of deal-making will enable you to establish trade agreements which benefit the working people of America. The support you received from disillusioned Americans in areas of decayed industries, especially in the Midwest, was crucial in your election as President. You will not want to disappoint these people further, but this will be far from easy. Putting America first in global trade deals sounds attractive, but it could have disastrous unintended consequences. A global recession triggered by a protectionist America would have negative effects on the employment prospects and economic wellbeing of precisely the people who see you as their champion. Equally, a borrow-to-build strategy is potentially a high-risk one. The high levels of national and personal debt are a concern of many Americans, particularly in your Republican party. And for good reason – remember 2008.

One of the major concerns preoccupying those of us living on this side of the Atlantic is your attitude to NATO. On the one hand, you are absolutely right to expect all member states to contribute to the alliance’s mutual defence. It is not acceptable for Europe to drag its feet and rely upon American generosity. On the other hand, there is an opportunistic leader – and you know who I mean – who will gleefully pounce on any sign of weakness or hesitancy. The NATO mutual defence clause is incredibly important for the peace of the world, and interestingly it has only been invoked once – in 2001 by the USA after 9/11. So please underline your commitment to this clause while also making crystal clear your expectations of your allies. And when you talk to President Putin – and talk you should – take care. Beware the Russian bear: get too close and you will be suffocated by the bear hug.

So on 20 January 2017 you will be inaugurated as President of the United States of America. From 12 noon on that day it will be your sacred duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States, to serve not yourself but your people and to exert more influence globally than any other inhabitant of the planet. I remind you of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in which he identified your task now –the same as his 154 years ago, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. Ultimately, history will judge your presidency on how well you undertake that task. May God bless and guide you in your endeavours.

Yours sincerely

Robert Court