Clobbered Trump still has huge power. Is he capable of self-reflection?

To paraphrase Donald Trump, not many Republicans were aware there is a T in Tsunami. John Bailey, Canterbury

Well, he did want to turn the reflecting pool blue. Landon Watts, Narraweena

Now that the reflecting pool has been refurbished, perhaps it might present the perfect opportunity for Don to have a good look at himself? Philip Sheridan, Kiama

Americans finally get the chance to show intelligence and responsibility (“Democrats take Congress as US voters reject Trump”, November 5). It’s not really surprising to me that Donald Trump appears to be calmly accepting the result of the midterm elections, as it won’t really impact him personally and may reduce any responsibility he feels to worry about solving the Iran and Ukraine “wars”. He still has judges in the Supreme Court largely chosen by him, can issue executive orders rather than seek Congress approval for any actions he wishes to take, veto any legislation proposed by Congress and, most importantly to him, continue to build personal wealth for two more years through his actions. Why should he be concerned?! Angela Johnstone, Marsfield

While I am pleased that Trump’s MAGA has been soundly defeated, I still fear for the future of the USA. Will the Democrats pour all their energy into impeaching Trump or getting him imprisoned as they did previously, or will they actually use their influence to create a better USA and a better world? Considering their track record, I am not confident. Michael Walsh, Croydon

The Democrats have won the Senate and House. They don’t take their places until January, so Trump has two months to create havoc. Once the Democrats have Congress, Trump still has the presidency and is still backed, supported and manipulated by those who wrote Project 2025. The US Supreme Court is still controlled by judges politically appointed and willing to make decisions based on politics and severe conservatism rather than good law. Trump still has his inexplicable and unexplained subservience to Putin. It is a very good thing the Democrats have had a big win, but there’s a lot it doesn’t change. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge

Trump has been clobbered, and the clinking of champagne glasses can be heard all around the world. A few unanswered questions: will the Dems open up the US borders? Will the new, and largely unknown, senators handle the intoxication of power? And will Trump stroll off into the sunset to spend his accrued money, or will they lasso him? Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield

American presidents can pardon anyone for almost anything, but not themselves. If the Democrat-controlled US government starts investigations into corruption in the Trump administration, Trump might suddenly have a health crisis and resign the presidency. The newly installed President Vance could then pardon Trump for all and any crimes that might have been committed. Lindsay Foyle, Stanmore

It is noteworthy that Trump didn’t try to claim election fraud again, like his mate Benjamin Netanyahu did in Israel. As the historian Anne Applebaum recently tweeted, “If the victory is decisive enough, even cheaters can’t contest it”. Nikhil Dhanabal, Clyde North (Vic)

Well done, Michael Koziol, for your honest reporting. Matt Golding takes the cake with his lame duck presidential retreat. Geoff Nilon, Mascot

I rarely watch daytime television unless it is cricket, football or tennis. However, if all daytime television was as exciting as the coverage of the US midterm voting on Wednesday afternoon, I could become addicted. Robyn Lewis, Raglan

Democracy trumps money

It seems that Donald Trump should have listened to the words of those great British philosophers, John, Paul, George and Ringo, who sagely declared that “money can’t buy me love” (“All the money said Republicans would win. They blew it”, November 5). Ken Enderby, Concord

After the elation of US democracy prevailing against billionaire bribes, the rejection of needless international aggression and the deployment of ICE in multicultural communities, the sobering questions are how will the leaderless Democrats unify? And what part of Trumpism can they dismantle first? I hope that this huge mandate is not squandered just in political revenge that only affects Washington DC. Jo Rainbow, Orange

You really have to ask yourself, don’t you? I mean, if you can’t buy an election, what’s the point of being a trillionaire? Robert Hosking, Paddington

Onus on the Democrats

The US election was held in the shadow of Trump’s relentless assault on voting. Trump will remain a disruptor. However, the result demands that the new House and Senate majorities focus on governing and engage only in investigations that are appropriate and avoid the uselessness of revenge. Democrats can use this victory to strengthen a more ambitious agenda for the long term. Republicans should now recognise, and embrace, the real message of this moment, that the people want effective, reliable, citizen-focused, bipartisan governance (“Republicans must break from Trump”, November 5). The politics of grievance has proved disastrous domestically and internationally. The renewed demand for good legislation must include reining in the powers of the presidency, restoring sanity to departments such as Justice, Defence, Homeland Security and the FBI as well as repairing the damage to healthcare and numerous smaller internal programs. Amid this is the urgent need for election reform via reinforcement of voting protections, states rights in the election process and the onerous task of reforming campaign financing, particularly elimination of Super PACs. This is a unique moment in history in which to demonstrate democracy, in one of its various forms with equal tripartite branches, can deliver fair and equitable benefits and stability to a vast, diverse constituency. Robert Caraian, Crows Nest

Midterms message for Albo

Could we have the Opera House lit up with blue lights, please? Victoria Harrington, Thirroul

Sane Americans have cast their golden leader adrift, in a canoe without paddles (aka the Senate and the House), largely because they could not cope with high inflation and their sky-high costs of living. Take notice, Albo, lest we sink you at the next elections. Brian O’Donnell, Burradoo

Australians, and especially Anthony Albanese, can breathe a sigh of relief. We will never have to have Donald Trump as a visiting head of state and as an official guest for whom we have to pay expenses. Kevin Farrell, Beelbangera

Over the past year, we have seen the rejection of right-wing populism in Hungary, Brazil, Serbia and in Alberta, with 75 per cent rejection of secession, yet in Australia, the electorate is rushing to embrace it with the rise of One Nation. Are Australians slow learners? Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba

Everyone is blaming the war in Iran for the high cost of living in the USA and the resulting Republican losses in the midterm elections. However, I reckon Angus Taylor should immediately get on the phone to Donald Trump to set the story straight. It was Anthony Albanese’s fault. Neil Quinn, Vincentia

The lessons for Australian politics are in Texas where the youthful James Talarico flipped the state to the Democrats. He campaigned on the notion that the real fight is between the top earners, the flashy pickpockets who pay minimal tax and have contempt for the less well-off. That’s contempt for the ordinary worker, paying their taxes and struggling to make ends meet. Texas is home to Elon Musk and his wealth, and that’s where he wants to expand his empire of data centres. Texas, and Talarico, aren’t having any of it. The people have voted. Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill

Now there is a rethink of Trump, perhaps we can drop AUKUS quietly. We need to implement the recommendations of the excellent report by the public inquiry Surrendering Australia released on Wednesday (“Former defence chief urges rethink of Australia’s relationship with China”, smh.com.au, November 4). Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla (ACT)

David Jones fall felt inevitable

I’ve been to Harrods, Selfridges, Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Galeries Lafayette. So I know from experience that there is no other store like David Jones (“‘Cool marble, wooden escalators, pure magic’”, November 5). How come, in the 1960s, Sydney could support multiple department stores? And now we’ll be left with just Myer? Melbourne wins again. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill

All the big stores (and hotels) used to have lift operators, and sometimes the operator would call,“Ladies underwear, going down.” And in the 1950s, the old Royal Exchange building at the corner Pitt and Bridge had a rope-operated lift and the attendant wore gloves to pull on the rope. And we had trams. Ron Field, Bermagui

David Jones froze its old customers out by franchising sections of the store to luxury brands. Early this century, I chose a garment and took it to the nearest counter to pay for it. The young assistant lowered her artificial eyelashes and said coldly, “I don’t work for David Jones. You have to go to that desk at the back of the store.” That experience was a far cry from the excellent service commemorated in Madeleine St John’s The Women in Black, or the recent series Ladies in Black. Good service brings customers back. Scorn doesn’t. Penelope Nelson, Randwick

I have a notion that the decline and fall of David Jones began when they closed the haberdashery counter. Peter Fyfe, Enmore

Canva with conscience

The Canva redundancies are very unfortunate (“‘Sad, devastated’: Canva cuts hit staff and tech overhaul”, November 5), but the company’s generous packages for affected employees are exemplary, putting it in that small category of “companies with a conscience”. Will this lead others to follow its example? Sadly, almost certainly not. Frank McGrath, Bulli

Labor scores an OK

I admire Niki Savva and her journalism (“Duo labour on, but mud sticks”, November 5). Maybe one of these Labor hierachy will be gone by the next election. But I wonder would they be so stupid to give some elements of the mainstream media and others what they are beginning to bay for? Would they be so stupid to go down the path of past Labor and LNP stabbing in the back of a leader? Remember Alan Jones on air encouraging Gillard to topple Rudd? Actually, I am pretty OK with our present government, except for AUKUS. They have kept it together while loads around them for some reason want Australia to be a copycat of the US, which I would not wish on any country. Wendy Kelly, Norwest

Wake-up call for the King

King Charles said during his Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) address that the slave trade was a “shameful chapter of history” (“King’s personal sorrow over slavery”, November 5). It’s taken him a very long time to realise that. Many right-thinking people all over the world have known that to be the case from the very beginning of the slave trade that was designed to serve ruthless white colonial capitalist interest devoid of humanity and human decency. Rajend Naidu, Glenfield

Let pharmacists prescribe

Your correspondent (Letters, November 5) references the many hospital admissions due to medication error as a reason to deny pharmacists the right to prescribe. What is lacking here is a counter-factual: how many admissions – and for what – would there be without this additional layer of prescription? I spent this afternoon trying to help my 88-year-old sciatica-suffering stepmother get access to a doctor in regional NSW before the earliest appointment she can get in 10 days’ time. An experienced, and just as importantly, available and empowered pharmacist would have been a godsend. Having had sciatica which resulted in a spinal fusion, I know what I’m talking about. Amanda Wilson, Camperdown

Ley’s calm remarks

Sussan Ley’s remarks on the vituperous online comments by hate-minded males over the young crash pilot Nathalia Filgueiras were as calm and collected as were the actions of the young pilot (“Attacks on pilot reek of sexism”, November 5). Anyone reading transcripts of the unfolding disaster would know that, facing death, the girl was sure and steady. I would challenge any of these pathetic cowards, hiding behind computer keyboards, to maintain such professionalism and courage in the face of one’s imminent end. Donald Hawes, Peel

Teachers closest to needs

The basic tenet of the AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) lies in its early beginnings … to advise schools and teachers (“Secret report exposes education research rift”, November 5). As such, the research, accompanying stats and possible applications are merely another tool to be used at the classroom teacher’s discretion. Policies should not be seen as mandatory or regulatory. It is the teachers who are closest to the needs of children and the experts on the journey to the established final outcomes. All other educational “experts” need to be reminded that children are not on an assembly line as a similar product with continual checks, inspections and verifications, and that they are young people, not mere products to be “ticked off” at the end of 13 years of schooling. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

First response sunnies

There are very good reasons why the new police long-arms squad wear sunglasses during the day – and clear glasses in low-light conditions (Letters, November 5). However, wearing sunglasses is not limited to them. I’d argue that many first responders and citizens also wear them. From a personal protective equipment perspective, it provides protection against glare, grit, cordite burns/flash and shrapnel if the rifle has a catastrophic failure during the firing sequence. (Unlikely but possible.) Pistols are typically fired from outstretched arms, whereas rifles typically have the firing chamber much closer to the face. Then there’s the straight-out tactical rationale, denying offenders any confirmation of where they are looking. Primarily this is a deliberate strategy to “put off” offenders. This is not a unique tactic to this squad, with many security and military personnel around the world using similar techniques such as the US Secret Service, the Israeli Shin Bet, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Defence Force close protection members. Bernard Stever, Richmond

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