The FAR Reacts to the U.S. Election
Last week's election came after an intense campaign from Former President Donald Trump, who has essentially been running since 2015, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced her candidacy this July. Many pre-election polls suggested that the race was tight, including ones from the Financial Times ('one of the closest presidential contests in recent history'), The New York Times ('the polls are so remarkably close'), and Fox News ('an extremely close race'). The actual results might not reflect those polls: Trump won every swing state, and the popular vote.
Although we are based in St Andrews, our team is made up of students from around the world. We asked them how they have reacted to the election. Here's what they had to say:
‘Neither candidate was a good choice for me. While I severely question Trump's morals, I also very much question Harris's leadership abilities. It is frustrating to me that these two candidates are the best that America could put forward because I know there are better politicians. Throughout her vice presidency, Harris seemed really absent to me, especially when it came to foreign affairs, and that was disheartening. So are Republican views: Trump will have a stronger stance on defense, and he will focus on building up the military, which I think is essential right now given the current climate. I don't think Harris would have done that. Needless to say, neither candidate got my vote. I didn't want to be held responsible for what either of them would do while in office. I just hope that the next election puts forward younger, fresh candidates who aren't so divisive.‘
- Meredith Kovarovic, Fourth Year, from the United States
‘I was personally shocked to see that a populist candidate who was quite unpopular in his first term and even his proceedings, would achieve a large margin of victory for his second term. I have however, realized that Donald Trump successfully was able to appeal emotionally (like many historical populist candidates) to many Americans who are unhappy with the state of the economy, such as uncontrollable inflation and the incumbent disadvantage the Democrat party has. As a foreigner who is interested in global politics and U.S. politics, I feel uncertain regarding the future of global affairs as I believe that Trump's second term, unlike his first, would strive away from neoconservatism and adopt a more isolationist stance towards areas like Ukraine and perhaps even Taiwan, which may mean more instability in global politics. However, whilst personally I am quite worried about what global developments would Trump's second term lead towards (especially the possibility of the Republicans controlling 3 branches of government), I would reserve my judgement which is dependent on the appointments Trump makes towards his cabinet.’
- Paco Seto, First Year, from Hong Kong
‘It has become clear in the last eight years that people really hate the Democratic Party. In many ways, criticisms of the party that come from both the right and left are fair and do make the Democrats unappealing. They are elitist, they are hypocrites, they focus too much on identity politics, and they are annoyingly sanctimonious. While elitism and hypocrisy are certainly criticisms that could be levelled at the Republican Party, they are much more of a problem for the Democrats, who are so concerned with appearing to have the moral high ground.
This election cycle was also notable for the rightward lean the Democrats took. This was especially towards the end of the election including the baffling move of getting an endorsement from Dick Cheney. It shows how similar the policies of the right and left actually are. In the debates it was almost comical watching them compete over who would police the hardest, who hated China the most, and who can support Netanyahu the best. But why vote for the right leaning centrists if you could just have the real thing?
Yet I feel that the Democrats will not change. There are many excuses that can be made for why they did so poorly in this election: Biden didn’t step down early enough, they inherited a bad economic situation, people aren’t ready to vote for a woman. While I fully believe these were all factors in her defeat, I think these excuses how the criticisms above have been levelled at the Democrats for years and have gone completely unaddressed. I am not sure how they will handle the election in four years. Maybe they will make some more meaningful changes, or maybe the Democratic Party has been broken for a long time.’
- Cosi Lovegrove-Leak, Fourth Year, from the United States
‘I did not anticipate this outcome, particularly considering Harris’s extensive social media campaign and the substantial support she received from prominent figures in Hollywood. What surprised me most was the possibility that many individuals publicly expressed their intention to vote for Harris yet privately cast their ballots for Trump. This raises an important question for us as a society: why do people feel hesitant or fearful about openly sharing their voting preferences? Understanding this phenomenon could provide valuable insights into the reasons behind Harris's loss in the election.’
- Valentina Bianchessi, Third Year, from Italy
‘I am very concerned by the results of the US election. I regard Donald Trump as a fascist and a danger to American democracy. My largest concerns are Trump’s erosions of our democratic institutions, first, and the erosion of our international standing, second. I believe Trump will back Israel, but the extremists in Israel, not the ‘good guys’ in Israel. He will probably worsen trade relations with China. Trump’s support of Ukraine is going to be a coin flip. I regard Trump as ‘American’s Hitler’, as his running mate J.D. Vance once called him. I hope that the Democrats can learn from this loss and re-think their past failed strategies so that in the future they can learn how to win and unite the country.’
- Charlotte Krausz, Second Year, from the United States
‘From Ukraine’s perspective, Trump’s election as president brings undeniable uncertainty. His leadership could alter Ukraine’s current trajectory, where the country is gradually losing ground and perhaps losing the war on a slow burn. Trump represents a risk for Ukraine; however, the lack of a clearly articulated strategic stance could result either in Ukraine being abandoned to European support or, conversely, an increase in U.S. military aid — if he does not find points of convergence with Putin. With Trump, it’s an all-or-nothing approach.’
- Bohdan Tierokhin, Third Year, from Ukraine
‘Embarrassed and disappointed for the USA but inevitably not surprised. This election confirmed my belief that the USA is an inherently and immutably conservative society.’
- Kritvi Gupta, Third Year, from India
‘The surprising aspect to me was Trump's popular victory, not necessarily his overall win. However, it was clear that the Democrats made a series of serious missteps over the course of the campaign. The delay in Biden stepping aside, the coronation of Harris, and the coastal, elitist attitude all contributed to their complacency which ultimately lost them the election. Trump took advantage of a poorly run campaign, and for all the handwringing, it cannot be said that the Democrats did not bring this on themselves. The next four years will be difficult for many.’
- Myra Kong, Fourth Year, from Hong Kong
‘I am a United States resident, so the election and its outcome affect me and my family differently to most Spaniards. As a resident, my greatest worry is the cohesion between the three branches of government. Now more than ever Trump can get a federal government that governs with less bipartisan approval, because of the Republican control of the Legislature and Executive and the conservative stacking of the Supreme Court. As a member of the international community, I feel sorry for the American people because of the destruction that their administration is going to wreck on their diplomatic programs. Trump's foreign policy will impact not only the way that governments work with the United States but also the way that citizens of other countries see them. While I do hope for a stable four years, I have very little faith in Trump and his administration's ability to maintain a good diplomatic image especially if they follow through on their statements of cutting ties with NATO or the Paris Agreement.’
- Isabel Garcia-Carrillo, Second Year, from Spain
‘Trump's election marks a catalyst in global governance and an alarming turn for climate change, human rights and international security agreements, as the U.S. is likely to retreat from multilateral accords. In this new order, the EU must step up and assume a more proactive leadership role in international affairs.’
- Charlotte Burg, Third Year, from France
‘As an 18-year-old American. This was my first time voting in an election and I was filled with hope, believing that I would help bring the US's first female president into office. I felt physically ill when I refreshed the news for the 100th time and saw that my country had elected a racist and a rapist whose very existence contradicts everything I stand for and whose intent is to tear away decades of hard-won progress made in regards to inclusivity, women's rights, sustainability, and countless other human rights and global initiatives. Harris’s words reminding the world that the fight isn't over, that it takes a long time to create positive change, are powerful. However, I am terrified when I think about how much damage might be done in the next four years and even more terrified by the fact that 52.5% of the American population decided that voting for a felon over a woman was the right choice to make.’
- Leah Rose, First Year, from the United States
‘If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said that I was surprised that this would be the outcome. Now, although I was disappointed, I was not surprised by the outcome. Since recently, it seemed apparent that Trump would become president –– however, I am surprised by the large difference in votes between Harris and Trump.’
- Paulina Kachalova, Fourth Year, from the United States
‘As a 10 year old girl, I sat in my primary 6 class watching a woman lose the presidential election to someone we all knew was going to do some very bad things. Now, I sit again watching history repeat itself, and listening to the leaders of my country congratulate this man on his win. Seeing my American friends and classmates scramble to obtain passports and citizenships to other countries and listening to their intentions of how they plan to simply survive when they go back home, and the fact that this man could win at all terrifies me. But Kamala Harris on 6 November said, ‘While I concede the election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign’. If the very person that lost the race will not give up, it means there may still be hope left in this struggle. I know at least two good people stand to fight, and I hope at least a few others may rise and take their shields with us.’
- Sophie Rose Jenkins, First Year, from Scotland
‘First was disbelief, followed by grief, disillusionment, embarrassment at my own naivety –– it’s evolved into some mix of hopelessness, uncertainty, and heartache. I had committed myself to a deliberate faith in humanity and in the moral arc of the universe. That now seems closer to a willful ignorance.
The results are a betrayal in the highest order, a condemnation by many of the very people we were fighting for. Now I am terrified over the practical implications and for what it means that as a nation this is the decision we made. I had convinced myself that, even with everything wrong with our country, the American experiment was working –– we were evolving and improving or at least trying to. I’m not sure I believe that anymore and I'm not sure I ever will again.’
- Mary Donner, Third Year, from the United States
‘I voted and campaigned for Kamala Harris and was incredibly disappointed to see the results of the election. It is devastating to think about the potential implications of Trump's presidency on women's rights, immigration, the economy, race relations, the climate and the state of American democracy, among other issues. I am disheartened to see that millions of Americans voted against progress in those areas, and in my opinion, against their own interests.’
- Sadie Golen, Fourth Year, from the United States
‘I think a sense of apprehension in terms of the global order given how Trump can upend the status quo. In terms of America as a country, it shows how America is still not ready to be led by a female president, at a time when Americans seem to be going more inwards and becoming increasingly conservative. From a point of view coming from India, there should be little change in terms of immigration as both leaders (Biden and Trump) viewed India favourably.’
- Nachiket K Javali, Fourth Year, from India
‘I'd consider myself shocked by the results of the U.S. election, having followed the election relatively closely throughout the campaigns through news sources and social media. Born and raised in New York, I recognise post-election that I often find myself surrounded by biased environments, as New York City itself is a very liberal city and New York a solidly Democratic state, so to say I found the election results shocking is an understatement. I had been following the presence of young voters on social media and expected a far higher young voter turnout for the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but after much post-election discussion, I've realized the naivety in my pre-election belief that Kamala Harris would win by narrow margins. The pressure and stress for American women in the face of a Republican government was a huge factor in my reaction to the election. The threat to abortion rights as well as a potential shift in funding for the Department of Education are two things that have weighed heavily on my mind when thinking about the new President Elect. There are several factors attached to Donald Trump's incoming presidency that makes me fear the incoming Republican government, in the sense that talks of Project 2025 and potential policies threaten a number of rights within the United States.’
- Tricia Merone, Second Year, from the United States
The next four years could define our lifetimes; when perhaps the most powerful country in the world has the chance to change the landscape of foreign affairs entirely, we can only wait and see what may come of it. Even within the bubble of St Andrews reactions are clearly varied, which only plays testimony to the diversity of experiences and opinions across the world – something that is essential we protect.
Image courtesy of AP via Free Malaysia Today, ©2024. Some rights reserved.
Luke Caramanico contributed to this article.
