“Trump is unpredictable and unreliable, he could bring the whole world into danger if he’s elected as president,” says Thera Van Osch, a hotel owner living in Germany. “I worry about what might happen if he is given access to nuclear bombs as he can do things without thinking.”
Her concerns about Donald Trump’s unpredictability are widely shared. When the FT ran a global survey asking people to send in voice notes on how the outcome of US election might affect them and their country, people responded from all corners of the world.
So far, we have received hundreds of written and spoken responses, talking directly to our newsroom. While some people were eager to tell us why they were loyal Trump supporters, others expressed anxiety about the ramifications of a Trump victory. The FT’s survey does not claim to be representative, but it gives a flavour of the conflicting views among people around the world about what a second Trump presidency means to them.
We heard from people in countries as varied as New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Germany, Lithuania, China and, of course, the US. We have used first names in some instances when readers did not want to be identified and anonymised some replies.
Readers told us about the ripple effect on the world that they believe a Trump victory would have. Nick, in Austria, told us he was concerned about the security of his country. “If he [Trump] were to be president again, I think that would definitely strongly impact the way that security policy and foreign policy will need to be discussed in Europe and particularly in Austria. We profit a lot from the security that the United States, through its military outreach and through the alliance system, through Nato, provides to us.”
We also heard from Fredrick Buenaventura, a 34-year-old man from Manila in the Philippines, who worries that the US elections “will have an impact on the volatile issue of the South China Sea and affect the stability in the region”. He adds that the economy in the Philippines could also be affected as “businesses rely heavily” on a robust US market.
For David, a 31-year-old American man, Trump represents a “strong leader” who, if elected, will be able to tame geopolitical uncertainties. “His economic and foreign policy records, his domestic security for energy and the border are his strengths,” he says. “One might suggest that his strategies in these areas are atypical of diplomacy and I’d agree. However, getting solutions in an increasingly volatile world and global economy needs a strong hand.”
Others felt the other way, that a Donald Trump victory would bring chaos. Goldie, an American woman who contacted us but didn’t want to use her real name, said: “I will move outside of the United States if Donald Trump is re-elected because I would not be able to live in a country where there could be either such widespread corruption in the voting electorate or such widespread ignorance in the voting electorate.”
One of the recurrent themes of this US presidential campaign is whether the US economy was managed better under Joe Biden or Donald Trump and this was also highlighted by the people who responded to our survey. “Trump is a deeply flawed man, but he performed well in the White House,” says Alex, a 40-year-old man. “The economy was good and inflation was kept low.” Alex believes people vote for Trump because they want a leader that does what they say when in office, and adds that “Trump was indeed a disrupter, but he was also a deliverer.”
Angel Flores, a 21-year-old American, agrees. “Trump appeals to me because of how down to earth he is with the American people over issues that we care about.” Flores points out the Trump’s economic policy with regard to the fossil fuel industry is also appealing. “I liked having cheap gas as a young person who would appreciate lower costs of living,” he said.
Younger male respondents tended to be more positive overall about a Trump victory. Keagan, a 26-year-old man from Arizona, said while he didn’t agree with all of Trump’s political beliefs, Trump’s economic talking points resonate. “My main concern is who is best suited to drive the American economy forward and who is focused on putting America first in a competitive global environment. Onshoring manufacturing, particularly in the tech sector, prioritising American businesses, controlling the deficit and responsible fiscal policies are what America needs.”
Others reflected on Trump’s tax cut initiatives. “Trump’s economic measures have been very advantageous,” says Yahya, a 27-year-old American. “His deregulation and tax cut initiatives have stimulated the economy and led to low unemployment and a robust stock market. I value his emphasis on promoting economic expansion and employment creation.”
Leslie, a 70-year-old American woman living in Louisiana, disagrees with the view that Trump will turn the economy around and favours Kamala Harris. “Harris will work to make elections fair [by] eliminating dark money, voter suppression laws, and partisan gerrymandering. She will also pursue a fairer tax system to help restore our country to fiscal sanity.”
While some respondents lamented Trump’s destruction of democracy and cited a decline in decency in US politics, others see his fighting spirit as a reason to elect him.
For some of his supporters, Make America Great Again is not simply a slogan. One 27-year-old man who contacted us, but did not want to be named, said: “Make America Great Again strikes a chord with me. I believe that we have strayed from our fundamental principles as a nation, and I respect Trump’s attempts to put the interests of Americans first. I think he prioritises America in trade agreements, immigration laws, and foreign relations.”
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