Now that President Trump, in his “shithole” comments (Report, 13 January), has once again demonstrated his contempt for a substantial part of the world’s population, and the United Nations has rebuked him, it is surely time for the UN to go further and consider relocating its headquarters to a more civilised part of the world. Copenhagen, Montréal and Nairobi are among the locations that immediately suggest themselves. One hopes that informal discussions along these lines have already begun.

Ted Schrecker

Professor of global health policy, Newcastle University

• Trump is so far the most straightforward and candid president the US has ever had. Didn’t he utter vulgar, racist and vile statements during his presidential campaign; sometimes linking the whole religion of Islam to terrorism, violence and sexual harassment; sometimes pledging to build a wall to deter Mexican migrants from entering the US, describing them as rapists, murderers and drug dealers; sometimes promising to recognise Jerusalem, a city sacred for followers of the three Abrahamic faiths, as the capital of Israel, compromising America’s stance as an honest broker in the Middle East; sometimes pledging to humiliate the House of Saud and milk their coffers? Didn’t he promise to withdraw the US from the Paris treaty on global warming? He acted on all his verbal campaign’s promises. We shouldn’t be surprised at the vulgarity of President Trump. Instead, we should blame those who raised him to the highest echelon of power.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

• After heavy rains in poverty-ridden Lowndes County, Alabama, human excrement from open sewerage (from some 70% of houses) flows under people’s homes where children play, and hookworm is endemic (A journey through a land of extreme poverty: welcome to America, theguardian.com, 15 December). President Trump ought to look to the shitholes closer to home.

Scott Poynting

Sydney, Australia

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters