Here in Massachusetts, the election and actions of president Donald Trump have caused quite a stir. In this unprecedented period of activity, politics have found their way past the ballot box and into our homes, schools, offices, and religious communities. Mass protests, boycotts, town halls, and sparse but highly publicized incidents of politically motivated violence have taken center stage. While some embrace the new direction our country appears to be moving in, others, especially in majority democrat Massachusetts, vehemently oppose it. More have removed themselves entirely from the political stage, turned off by the new frequency and aggression that politics have taken on in their personal and online lives. Despite these efforts, coverage of the White House and its foes has become increasingly impossible to avoid for many due to the rapid and pervasive nature of 21st century news media. In Germany, major national newspaper “The Mirror” boasts a total of 369 stories pertaining to the keyword “Trump”. Three of the trending stories on the site’s main page also involve the president. While America remains steadfastly divided on what a Trump presidency means for our country, the rest of the world has been given a front-row seat to whatever chaos, or progress, such an unprecedented presidency may hold.
In the past year and a half, I’ve been exposed to the opinions of my friends, classmates, and family members here in the U.S. However, I’ve rarely ventured to field those of my foreign counterparts, many of whom have been made equally familiar with the current events of my country. Earlier this month, I went out on a limb and decided to ask six of my friends from abroad their opinions of the situation. I sent three questions to each of them: “What is your perception of America right now?,” “Has it changed since one year ago?”, and finally and most bluntly “What do you think of Trump?”. The next morning, I awoke to six responses, ranging in length and to put it kindly, passion. Each girl that I had reached out to, regardless of their political vigor, had been anxious to respond to my inquiry.
All of them admitted shock to the results of the election. “I don't understand how a man like this can be elected as president.” said Charlotte, a 19 year old German currently living in Basel. “I didn't expect that, at all.” said Nadica, a Macedonian student studying psychology in Greece.
Josephine, 17, who I visited in the Netherlands this past summer, expressed her surprise not only about the result, but “the big difference between Americans and the way they think about politics.” This difference, demonstrated by the masses of people turning out to protest the new President’s actions, was noted by others as well.
Nadica, like many of those I reached out to made clear her resent for Trump, noted that “Despite everything (America) is a great country and it should not be blamed,” comparing the criticism of Americans and their values under Trump’s presidency to that of German people under the Nazi regime. She cited “the people protesting”, as a reminder that the election results “were not the will of the majority of the country.”
As for Trump’s actions and potential power as president, fear and rejection were common themes. In Josephine’s opinion, the now dismissed February “Muslim Ban” was “ridiculous.” Sofia, 17, of Italy, had nothing to say but that “(Italy) is a little worried about what Trump could do in the following years.”
Charlotte noted that unlike the Obama administration, “the future is unsure.” “I don’t think he is a bad person,” she clarified “but just not made for being president.” The fact that he has a lot of power now, is “scary.”
Nadica, while drawing parallels to the government corruption that has caused her and many other young people to leave Macedonia in search of a more profitable future, also noted the danger of Trump leading one of the world’s powers. “Instead of the world uniting against terrorism, he, as the American president might be one of the reasons for something worse (like) a new war.” She mentioned the dreaded possibility of Trump “triggering a third world war.”
However, it was not without understanding that she approached the situation. The reason he received so many votes, she guessed, was due to his supporters’ desire for change. “They thought that he would make changes which would make America better in terms of being the best country, most dominant and powerful in the world.”
The last message I read, from my friend Katarina in Serbia, offered an alternate perspective. The only one to respond that her country had favored Trump to Clinton, her explanation and analysis reminded me of the fact that despite right or left wing politics, American politicians are not universally revered at home and abroad. “In Serbia, people generally believe Trump being a president can't be any worse for us than Clinton administration,” she said, citing “the whole bombing situation in the 90’s”. While the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia does not rank highly amongst the reasons roughly 63 million Americans favored Trump to Clinton, much of the rhetoric behind Serbians’ general support of Trump was present here in the United States as well. Many, like those in Serbia, aligned candidate Hillary Clinton with a liberal political system they felt had failed them. In both countries, actions of Clinton’s husband Bill Clinton during his two terms as President were brought forth as evidence for the potential dangers of a Hillary Clinton presidency.
Across the Western world, recent elections and political movements have demonstrated a universal desire for something new. This desire, enabled by a fragile global peace and the rapid transmission of information and opinion, has been answered by both far-right and far-left politicians. In the first clear-cut test of allegiances, the American election of 2016, the far-right has narrowly prevailed. With the whole of Europe watching around the clock, the actions of Trump’s White House and the response of average Americans will either boost political extremism in the West or snuff it out entirely.
The fate of America, being the first Western power to adopt such unconventional leadership, will dictate that of our longtime allies. Their response, whether repulsion, admiration, or indifference, is crucial to the future of the world. From my limited sampling, notably conducted among young adults, admiration is a reaction that I’ve ruled out. Of course, the countries of Europe are not composed of like-minded liberals or conservatives. Just as easily as in the United States, their governments can reverse from left to right and back again during election periods. However, the reactions I’ve been exposed to, for the most part, do not pertain to liberal or conservative views. Instead, my friends abroad have expressed to me their confusion and fear over a man they view as an abnormal politician, an extremist unqualified for leading a major world power.