Trump’s documents

Donald Trump, the leader of rednecks and right-wing cranks, believes that he can de-classify secret documents just by thinking about it; just as he thinks that he can imagine that he is still president.

This theory is shot down by some elementary facts of classified document handling.

First, they are marked with their classification and, when declassified, over-stamped to indicate this.

Otherwise, the markings would be meaningless. Secondly, documents classified ‘‘Confidential'' and above require special handling and safe storage, not covered by bundling them into cartons (even if they were spirited off in Air Force One).

In the USA, the colours of right-wing (red) and left-wing (blue) are the opposite of those designated in other countries. Maybe this is to make his redneck supporters feel at home.

Democracy is fragile in the USA, where judicial courts can be stacked with activist judges, sheriffs are elected, and cabinet ministers need not be elected officials.

Hugh Webb, Hamilton