GROWING up as a child I recall the tensions surrounding the superpowers or at the time the threat of nuclear war presented in the challenges of East and West.

It was war of words. It called for deft diplomacy.

For President John F Kennedy it marked a breakthrough and characterised strong leadership.

The victory was for a free world and moulded a belief that West is best, promoting freedom and democracy.

Kennedy’s tenure was cut short by an assassin’s bullet, but there was the legacy which subsequent US presidents maintained, albeit with the continuing threat.

This is the narrative we have had and generally it is accurate account.

Russia and China do present a threat, but so does the United States of America through the incumbent President Donald Trump.

The man who denounces fake news and creates the fanciful fantasy. Trump’s world is a vision of an ego.

When the coronavirus is gripping many nations of the world, none more so than the United States, this predictably unpredictable President has denied and rebuffed the reality that Covid-19 really exists, that is until now.

Both the President and his wife, the First Lady have tested positive. It would be nice if he showed humility in his suffering.

I genuinely wish him and his wife a full recovery and some sensitivity towards those who have suffered and are still suffering from this horrible virus.

Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe.