to the editor: re <u+201c> roiling the g.o.p., ryan turns focus to house control <u+201d> (front page, oct. 11): speaker paul d. ryan just failed as the voice for american (and even family) values. he was faced with a tape of donald trump bragging about trying to seduce a married woman and sexually assaulting other women, and mr. trump<u+2019>s jerry springer-worthy pre-debate stunt of trying to get bill clinton<u+2019>s accusers to sit in his v.i.p. box, and finally, his threat to jail hillary clinton if he wins the presidency. instead of calling on other republicans to do the right thing, or do what is best for the country, and withdrawing his endorsement of mr. trump, speaker ryan called on his party<u+2019>s members to do what is best for themselves and their districts. this is not simply cowardly and wrong, but like donald trump, mr. ryan proved himself a national embarrassment and the polar opposite of leadership. measured by the adage that character is revealed by the choices people make under pressure, mr. ryan failed monumentally, proving that he is perfectly fit to be the speaker of the party of trump. katharine jones new york to the editor: both parties need to think about how they will comport themselves after the ballots have been counted. there is no reason to believe that donald trump will go quietly. we should be so lucky. hillary clinton needs to remember her vow to govern on behalf of all the people, humbled by the real possibility that a regular republican could have defeated her. speaker paul d. ryan and mitch mcconnell, the senate majority leader, will have to decide whether they are republicans first or americans first. mr. ryan is showing signs that he understands that. the slightest encouragement of mr. trump<u+2019>s venomous, self-serving politics will haunt our democracy for decades. fred andrews southold, n.y. to the editor: re <u+201c> trump<u+2019>s pledge to jail clinton gets experts thinking of <u+2018>tin-pot dictators<u+2019> <u+201d> (news article, oct. 11): donald trump<u+2019>s threat to put hillary clinton in jail if he becomes president should have sent shock waves through the country. it was disturbing to watch. words uttered from the mouth of a would-be dictator. this from a man who has been fortunate enough to reap the privileges of living in one of the greatest democracies in the world. he would use institutions that exist to uphold the law to exact personal revenge on an opponent. people who support this demagogue should be careful what they wish for. indera narain toronto to the editor: re <u+201c> pacing and swaying, clinching and smiling <u+201d> (news article, oct. 11): any professional actor will have recognized the behavior of donald trump throughout the entire debate: it was a classic effort to upstage hillary clinton, made all the more disruptive by his mammoth size. mrs. clinton instinctively held her body in repose while the behemoth behind her proved an obvious trial for the camera people, who had to change positions frequently in a vain effort to compensate for his lack of courtesy. jane a. johnston shearing los angeles to the editor: re <u+201c> were it any other job, h.r. would flag trump ,<u+201d> by andrew ross sorkin (dealbook column, oct. 11): not just the human resources department, but parents as well. after the tape, would you want your daughters to work for donald trump? for that matter, your sons? christopher bishop milford, conn. a version of this letter appears in print on october 12, 2016, on page a22 of the new york edition with the headline: trump and the havoc in the g.o.p. today's paper | subscribe
donald trump and the havoc in the g.o.p.
noauthor