IS there anyone who was naive enough to be surprised that a story has appeared suggesting that President-elect Donald Trump was susceptible to blackmail by the Russians ("Trump slams ‘fake news’ as he hits out at CBI and FBI”, The Herald, January 12)?

Prior to the vote the Washington Post gave front-page coverage of two stories which it later had to confess were totally false. Then President Obama appeared to throw the toys out of the pram by blaming Russia for the Democrats’ loss while egotistically claiming that if he had been a candidate he would have won. When Mr Trump questioned the US intelligence services’ part in blaming Russia there was inevitably going to be a story leaked to attack him. The contents of the accusation is classic spook mythology and even the intelligence agencies now give them little credence.

In the US the President appoints heads of the intelligence agencies, so it is logical to assume that there is a loyalty to Mr Obama owed by the various heads who are about to be replaced. It is also relevant to consider that the military industrial complex relies on international tensions to promote sales and the thought that Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump can work well together is an anathema to them.

As a former director of the CIA said: "Don't read something in the press and think ‘is that the truth?’ Rather ask ‘who wants me to believe it is true?’ and you will have a much clearer view of the world."

David Stubley,

22 Templeton Crescent, Prestwick.

ONLY three US Presidents, Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton have ever been impeached or threatened with impeachment. Two were acquitted by the Senate, and Nixon resigned before the process started. Their offences, including adultery, wire tapping and, in Johnson's case, trying to sack his Secretary of War, Edward Stanton, who barricaded himself on his office, were kids' stuff compared to the mountain of salacious and financial allegations stacking up against Donald Trump.

The very idea that a US President could be so compromised by the Russians and remain in office, or even win an election, seems incredible, the stuff of third world dictatorships.

This post-truth era of voter manipulation and aggressive defence is creating a cadre of untouchable leaders and electoral decisions that could weaken and finish off western democracy.

Surely Mr Trump will a prime candidate for impeachment. Surely there are enough people of good sense and bravery in the US to do it.

Allan Sutherland,

1 Willow Row, Stonehaven.

ANY person running for high political office must have an ego the size of a bus, but even so, Donald Trump seems unique in the self-centred nature of his personality.

The apparent revelation that Russia may have built a salacious (though unverified, and perhaps unverifiable) dossier on him seems bizarre and worrying, given his wealth and status. Whether true or false doesn’t seem to be the point. He is already the most unpredictable person to gain high office imaginable.

His private wealth, his widespread commercial interests, his partisan cabinet picks, his willingness to engage in spiteful and vindictive public spats: much of what he is as a person would appear to make him a grossly unsuitable candidate for President of the most powerful nation on the planet, at a time when the US has a serious racial and economic divide to contend with.

I wish him and America well, but I cannot see him serving a whole term as President.

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street, Ochiltree.