During the American Civil War, president Abraham Lincoln was told that general Ulysses S. Grant, his brilliant and successful commander, was a notorious drunkard and should be relieved of his command.

But Lincoln is alleged to have replied: 'Tell me the brand of whisky he drinks and I'll send a barrel of it to every one of my other generals!' The point I am trying to make is that America should keep a sense of perspective and allow a manifestly competent president to get on with the job for which he was elected, without hindrance. Too many stones have already been cast by those who should be wise enough to know better.

I know that, as a British and Hong Kong resident, I should mind my own business, but it saddens me to see the great country of the US needlessly viewed with contempt and its authority eroded.