A chara, – Michael McDowell's belief ("Donald Trump is running out of scapegoats", Opinion & Analysis, April 29th) that Donald Trump is in serious trouble in Illinois will hardly worry the US president, who only got 38 per cent there in 2016, or the Republican Party, who haven't won the state in presidential elections since 1988. In addition, Virginia and Ohio are no longer swing states in presidential elections. Hillary Clinton won Virginia comfortably in 2016, as will Joe Biden in 2020, while Mr Trump won Ohio comfortably in 2016 and will again in 2020. In relation to the other two states where Mr Trump is supposedly in trouble, Michigan and Pennsylvania are must-wins for Mr Biden, with Michigan a probable win for him and Pennsylvania one of the states that will decide the election.
Expect many visits by Mr Biden to Pennsylvania, where he was born, and plenty of “great to be home speeches”. – Is mise,
LOMAN Ó LOINGSIGH,
Dublin 24.