Letter: What does the future hold for Covid and Trump now that Biden is in charge?

“As I write this, we are five days after the Inauguration of the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, and all agree it went off surprisingly well.

“No mobs, no riots, no further unpleasantness at the Capitol - in fact, nothing to get excited about at all! (With my apologies to Stanley Holloway!”

“However, the safety of the incoming president and vice-president was secured only by the presence of 25,000 troops- incidentally, more than the United States has stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria combined.

“It may well be difficult, at least in the short term, for American diplomats to lecture either the Russians, the Chinese, or the multitude of third-world despots about the necessity for a peaceful and democratic change in their governments; recent events might prove to be something of a handicap.

“It is clear that the Biden administration is not thrilled with the idea of a trial following a second impeachment of Donald Trump.

“They see it as an unnecessary diversion at a time when their number one aim is to get their leading people approved by the Senate and also to secure the passing of the Covid and stimulus relief package, but most of all to get the virus under control.

“The United States is losing on average 4,000 people every 24 hours, an unbelievable toll. As the total now approaches half a million, this is more than all who have lost their lives in every war that the United States has been involved in since it’s Civil War in the mid 19th century.

“However, there is some good news with reference to the virus. President Biden let it be known that his target was for 100 million Americans to be vaccinated in his first hundred days in office, and that target is on track to be met.

“Today, there is a very strong rumour circulating that ex-president Trump, now a private citizen and residing in Florida, is weighing up the idea of creating his own political party (some would say that has already occurred).

“If that happens, where would the membership come from? Who would join? The Proud Boys, yes, some members of the National Rifle Association, possibly, assorted cranks and other disaffected and unhappy people. But, Mr Trump received 73,000,000 votes in November, not an insignificant tally, so potentially he has a rich vein to mine. “This conundrum has many possible beneficiaries and almost certainly as many casualties. If Trump does proceed in creating this new political force I suggest it may well be quite good news for the Democrats, for to have the right-of-centre block splinter surely can only benefit them. We shall see!”

• Letter submitted by John Sellick, former Liberal Party candidate for Louth/East Lindsey constituency on five occasions in the 1970s and 1980s.