The "staggering overreaction" by his critics to US President Donald Trump has made a sensible discussion of his policies all but impossible, according to a former Archbishop of Canterbury.

"He is treated as a uniquely bad leader," says Lord Carey of Clifton in a newspaper article today. He attacks "progressives" who condemn America or Israel while ignoring those who are truly evil. 

Writing in the Express, Lord Carey says that "we" are are in no position to judge him as a politician in any meaningful sense.

"Even in American terms he can hardly be deemed the worst president in a considerable list of duds, some of whom held out for an indefensibly long time against the abolition of slavery or have napalmed and bombed other countries in episodes of ill-considered military adventurism," he adds.

He applauds Trump for recognising that Christians are persecuted in the Middle East and elsewhere and his resolve to prioritise asylum for religious minorities. 

"Up to now, American and in fact British immigration policy has discriminated against Christians. In spite of the fact that the last Secretary of State, John Kerry, said that Christians, Yazidis and Shi'a Muslims were facing genocide in Syria, refugees from that country were 99 per cent Sunni Muslims.

"Ten per cent of Syria's pre-war population was Christian. In halting this genocide, and in other areas, Trump could actually make a difference." 

Carey recalls his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, when he was "commanded" by the Royal Household "to sup" with leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, and the then President of China.

"State visits are not to signal our approval of every visiting leader but to create strategic and trading ties, and extend ­British influence."

He admits Trump is different from the norm.

"Though we may disapprove we must accept the right of the US public to elect their own leader.

"Furthermore, many of his comments strike a chord with vast swathes of the American population. They are the left behind.

"They lost the culture wars, they lost their jobs and they are sick of being lectured to about what they can and cannot say, do and think."

Even in modern times, here is a long list of dictators and tyrants who are worse than Trump.

"Mugabe and Assad, for example? I cannot recall such demonstrations against terrible and autocratic regimes such as Burma, Sudan and North Korea," writes Carey.

He says American voters have recognised that it will require a man behaves like a "bull in a china shop" to turn America's fortunes around.

Last week, Carey gave an interview to Christian Today  where he hit out at "hysterical" and "baying" critics of the potentially "outstanding" President Donald Trump, and said that he would "of course" attend a state banquet were he still Anglican leader.

Lord Carey of Clifton, who was Archbishop from 1991-2002, told Christian Today that while he did not "by and large" agree with the new President, the choice of the American people should be "honoured and respected" and that Trump "has the strength of personality to be an outstanding President".