Right now everything points to the possibility of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump to be declared winner of the US Presidential Elections, as LETA was told by foreign policy expert Mārtiņš Hiršs.
He explained that Trump already has a clear advantage over his competitor – candidate from the Democratic Party Kamala Harris. On top of that, he has managed to boost his support when compared to his previous attempt at presidential elections four years ago. Democrats still hope for votes in the bigger districts, as well as mail votes, which could allow “pulling victory from Trump’s hands”.
Although the general opinion about Trump in Europe is negative, what voters in the US hear about him is significantly different to what the media say about him in Europe and in Latvia. US media that support the Republican candidate make no mention about his bad reputation and only bring up the good things. US residents are also more concerned about domestic policy – economics and social problems, including prices in various stores. “People want change, and this is why they are against Democrats, not with Trump personally,” said Hiršs.
“A number of residents don’t even hear Trump’s radical statements,” added the expert, stressing that current results indicate the politician’s rising popularity in countryside regions, where people are more supportive of traditional values and don’t feel all that heard or supported by Democrats.
The expert predicts that as Republicans secure advantage in the Congress, there could be “many radical and odd internal policies”. Trump’s victor could also severely undermine the democratic system of the country, as well as encourage conflicts among NATO partners, who have both learned from Trump’s previous presidency and invested more in their own defence.
In the event of Trump’s victory, US support of Ukraine may shrink considerably.
“The future doesn’t seen very rosy for democracy. There are serious concerns about the erosion of democracy,” said Hiršs.
At the same time, he does not believe election results could cause enormous riots within the US society – authorities have learned from previous experiences and have prepared for various possibilities.
In the US presidential election on Tuesday, Republican candidate Donald Trump reportedly secured at least 246 electoral votes for himself, while his rival, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, secured 187 electoral votes, according to estimates by television channels CNN and the BBC.
Vote-counting continues.