Americans in NTU worry about President Trump

By Rachel Chia, News Editor

President Trump faces the difficult task of uniting a nation divided by a fiercely fought election. GRAPHIC: TAN ZHUO HUI

Judges with little regard for the Constitution, widespread dislike of Americans abroad, and risky policies for dealing with Russia and Syria.

These are among the concerns that American students and professors in NTU have about a Donald Trump presidency, after the controversial real estate mogul and television personality won the tight race for the White House on Wednesday (9 Nov).

“My long-term concern lies with his appointment of Supreme Court justices who have as little regard for the American Constitution as he does,” said Assistant Professor Justin Clark, 38, from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). “It’s a sad day for the US, and for the world.”

Mr Clark said he was shocked by the results. Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the consistent front runner in most pre-election surveys.

“It’s difficult to explain the appeal of a misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, erratic, inept businessman who has no serious policy proposals, except as one of the most magnificent con jobs in American history,” Mr Clark, who was originally from California, added.

Other American students and staff whom the Nanyang Chronicle spoke to also expressed dejection over the future of their country under Mr Trump.

Third-year School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) exchange student Paul Chery said he was “horrified” by how divided Americans were, and called Trump’s win a “wake-up call” for the country.

Added the 20-year old from Arizona: “My people have elected someone who has repeatedly targeted many groups for their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and gender, just to name a few. He has bragged about not paying taxes and sexually assaulting women. He also denies the existence of climate change.

“The fact that he is now president validates these behaviours…the next four years will be difficult for many Americans, as well as many people around the world.”

Democratic supporter and third–year SPMS exchange student Caroline Duncombe said: “I’m absolutely devastated and disappointed that Americans would give in to the fear that the elected president has taken advantage of, especially at the expense of discriminating against minorities.”

The 20-year-old, who hails from Wisconsin, added: “I believe strongly in the freedom of speech and also in acceptance. But I find it difficult to accept that many Americans don’t believe in those values of acceptance and understanding of different cultures.”

Some students said they feared that Trump would tarnish the image of Americans for the rest of the world.

Final–year School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering exchange student Brett Griffith, 22, who is from Georgia, said: “Having Trump as the President ruins the nation’s public image. As a result, people outside America don’t have a good view of Americans. To me, it feels like we have an idiot as the face of our nation.”

Final–year School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering exchange student Austin Carter, 21, from Tennessee, said while he did not doubt that Trump was “a smart person”, having him as president would create a “pretty bad” image of Americans worldwide, and he feared others would view American exchange students negatively.

But Trump’s victory, while discouraging, did not come as a shock to others.

Final–year HSS exchange student AJ Bandyk said while he was “certainly disappointed”, the win was unsurprising as Americans had been overconfident about support for Mrs Clinton in her bid for the presidency.

The 21-year-old from California added that the election results were also a sign of the changing times in America.

“A lot of people are upset at the way the middle class has crumbled to almost nothing, while huge corporations are enjoying the some of the largest profits in history,” he said. “The economy left those voters behind, and the political class did too.”

Third–year SPMS exchange student Cole Preston said Trump’s win did not come as a shock because the polling process is “sometimes biased in nature”.

Preston, 22, who is from Arizona, added: “Trump is more outspoken than most politicians so policies will definitely change and be different from how Washington has always worked. America’s relationship with other countries will definitely be very different, especially with countries like Russia and Syria.”

Said Asst Prof Terry Steele from the School of Material Sciences and Engineering: “I think that people like him (Trump) because he is outspoken and he doesn’t try to sugar coat his message.”

The 39-year-old from Minnesota added: “With the public’s general distrust against politicians, him speaking from the gut and saying unpopular things makes the public thinks that he is truthful. The public may also think that he is different because he has no political or military experience.

“Presidential elections actually have a small impact on the lives of normal people. Midterm elections that decide state legislature have more impacts on the lives of normal people.”

Despite the gloom that surrounds some Americans, others have have come to terms with the impending Trump presidency and are cautiously optimistic for better days ahead.

Said Ms Nikki Draper, 53, a senior lecturer from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information: “I’m sad about the election results. I wanted a different outcome. I wonder and worry what it means for my country, my family and my friends.”

But Ms Draper, who voted under the Delaware state, added that voting was “how democracy works: crazy at times, inspiring at times”. “I’m hopeful we’ll see inspiring soon,” she added.

Her colleague, 34-year-old Asst Prof Sonny Rosenthal from Texas, said: “I’m surprised by the outcome, but Trump gave a good acceptance speech. I hope he can keep America great.”

(Additional reporting by Cheryl Tee, Gracia Lee, Sophia Tan, Prisca Lim, Jasmine Koh and Wong Jing Hui)