to the editor: re <u+201c> trump pulls back but still defies the conventions <u+201d> (front page, nov. 23): there is a tendency for politicians to be fearful of changing policy positions. somehow, having an open mind is viewed as a weakness. and, indeed, there are a number of areas in which we are now at severe risk of heading backward: reproductive rights, voting rights, medicare, the supreme court, corporate regulation, to name but a few. but when a president-elect expresses a willingness to be open-minded about climate change, a policy area that will ultimately affect more of humanity than anything short of nuclear conflict, we should positively reinforce it and not be critical of flexibility. goodness knows, there is precious little to praise in this president-elect, and we should seize the opportunity. joe grossman boulder, colo. to the editor: <u+201c> at lunch, donald trump gives critics hope ,<u+201d> by thomas l. friedman (column, nov. 23): mr. friedman and other critics of donald trump should not be fooled by his words; this is false <u+201c>hope.<u+201d> time and time again mr. trump has shown the world that he can speak from both sides of his mouth. when he talks to right-wingers, he is a hard-core nationalist, but when he talks to liberals, he softens his stands. what is crystal clear is that mr. trump does not have the knowledge or experience to head our nation. he is absolutely unfit, and the biggest problem is that he relies only on his inner circle of advisers, all of whom are right-wingers. actions speak louder than words, and so far mr. trump<u+2019>s actions do not give this ultraliberal any hope. michael hadjiargyrou old westbury, n.y. to the editor: i applaud the times<u+2019>s decision to insist that its interview with donald trump be a matter of public record. i am struck by the fact that once given this ultimatum, he eventually decided to abide by it. therefore the reader of your article and the full transcript of the interview has far more information and insight into the thinking and plans of the president-elect than we would have had if you had agreed to have the meeting off the record. as a subscriber, i am glad to support a member of the fourth estate that demonstrates such a commitment to transparency. sara debeer zeiger west hartford to the editor: the times reports that donald trump <u+201c>vigorously denounced<u+201d> the white nationalist conference in washington that was awash in appalling nazi-style exhortations and anti-semitic rhetoric. but i ask, where has mr. trump<u+2019>s true denunciation been <u+2014> a public denunciation, heartfelt, and full of appropriate outrage and warning? the answer: nowhere. instead, affirming his loyalty to steve bannon, he continues to need prodding to disavow hate groups into which he has breathed new life. meanwhile, he <u+201c>also defended breitbart,<u+201d> the news site, <u+201c>saying it was no different from the times, only <u+2018>much more conservative.<u+2019> <u+201d> now a rational human being isn<u+2019>t supposed to find such blithe utterances <u+2014> and all of this <u+2014> terrifying? steve becker westfield, n.j. to the editor: it is astonishingly arrogant and ignorant of donald trump to believe that his son-in-law is qualified to negotiate peace between israel and palestine; however, it speaks clearly to the level of illusion he and his organization are operating under. to believe that his children, whose life experience is almost exclusively limited to real estate and the rarefied world of the wealth and privilege of the 1 percent, should have any responsibility for the well-being, safety and future of this nation or others is frightening. kelly grace smith fayetteville, n.y. to the editor: thanks for the in-depth interview with president-elect donald trump. it helped put things in perspective. one objection: mr. trump<u+2019>s extreme campaign promises are not what got him elected. rather it was his audaciousness. this is the honeymoon. let<u+2019>s hope that he can do something audaciously good, in the middle east, for instance. it<u+2019>s a long shot, but maybe mr. trump will rally something iconically american with his audaciousness. peter blankenheim madison, wis. to the editor: i was an english teacher for 40 years. donald trump, in answering questions about global warming, white nationalism, waterboarding and press freedoms, sounds exactly like my students who hadn<u+2019>t read the assignment and had to obfuscate in their answers. everyone in the classroom knew who hadn<u+2019>t done his homework and didn<u+2019>t understand the material. esther s. bushell old greenwich, conn. a version of this letter appears in print on november 24, 2016, on page a30 of the new york edition with the headline: trump at the times: did he bend?. today's paper | subscribe
donald trump at the times: did he bend?
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