John T. Fitzgerald, a Chicago lawyer, and his wife have watched many elections in the US. But while touring the White House and Capitol in Washington DC, Fitzgerald says the November election is different because it is about “defending democracy.”
CNN-News18 toured the US for over two weeks to gauge the state of mind of American voters ahead of the elections. Memories of January 6, 2021 in Washington DC are still fresh, when Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the process of declaring Joe Biden as US President. They were rejecting the election results. One person was killed in police firing, several policemen were injured, and the Capitol suffered billions of dollars in damage. Many consider it an ‘assault on democracy’ that put the country at risk.
A group of elderly friends on a train from New York to Washington told CNN-News18 that it is all very bitter and the main issue is to save democracy. Paul says, ‘People are really concerned about maintaining our system. Americans want to maintain what we have had for 250 years … in which individuals’ voices are heard and there are free and fair elections. There is a real concern that this is in danger.’ His friend Flynn said that Harris’ victory is important and he is afraid of another result.
Paul said that he has never seen an election that is so close and controversial. He said that American elections have usually been competitive, but people from both sides talk to each other. This time a situation like real hostility and hatred is being seen. He said that inflation, immigration and abortion laws are also issues, but the main issue is to save democracy.
The Fitzgerald couple’s opinion is no less strong. They call Trump ‘the incarnation of the devil, a criminal, wife-abusing scoundrel’ and consider Harris ‘freedom, righteousness and good for the poor’. Fitzgerald says that it is ‘shameful’ that Trump was once president and can win again. He is worried about this, while his wife says that America is ready for a female president. He said that I was very sad when Hillary Clinton lost… now the time has come for a woman to become president, and we fully support Kamala.
Inflation means Trump is in the game
There is no dearth of Trump fans with the issues of inflation and immigration along with the ongoing wars in the world. Trump is firmly in the game. Some people in Washington DC are hoping that Trump can solve these issues. Richard, who is on vacation from Colorado to see the White House with his wife, says that making America great again – this is Trump’s slogan … and it is resonating because almost everything has become expensive. Some people say that Vice President Kamala Harris has taken Biden out of the race. The biggest issue of this election is inflation and cost of living.
The Richard couple told CNN-News18, ‘The price of everything is increasing, and this is a problem for every citizen. If you think, the rich have no problem, but for the poor and middle-income group people, living and surviving is a big problem. Trump is promising to change this. People in public office make a lot of promises. But in Trump’s case, some promises come true. I remember when he was in office, the price of gas was $2 and 20 cents. Today the price of gas is $4-5. Prices in groceries and restaurants have doubled. We want to reduce the cost of living,’
His wife said that the world is also in conflict and there are wars going on that were not there before. She said that people are talking about the third world war – we are seeing wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe that were not there before. We think Trump can handle it.
So does that mean Trump could sit in the White House in November? Richards said you have a coin in your pocket, we can flip it (laughs). This race is so close and tight that we don’t know.
The President must remain restrained
‘This is a very divided nation right now, women’s rights are all the rage.’ This is what a group of American women say at the Capitol in Washington. Recalling the events that took place at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, they say- “No matter who wins or loses, everyone should remain restrained. Even if you lose, you should take it with dignity. You can’t win every election, but you can still be a dignified person and support whoever comes after you.”
A young Indian American man who accompanied him said that it is also important that the next president brings the American economy into a better state. He says that the prices of goods and gas have increased a lot. We hope that the next president will help us recover from this.
The women said that America should unite because there is enough division. They said that the country definitely needs its first woman president Kamala Harris… Let’s return to peace and unity because this is what is best for our country.
Washington is a blue state that has voted for all Democratic candidates since 1988. So the support for Harris is clear here, but there are also Trump supporters, as inflation is a big issue in America this time. As Richard says, we cannot say who will sit in the White House next time even by tossing a coin.
