SPECIAL EDITORIAL Roger-Luc Chayer: (Photo: AFP)
On November 6, 2024, Donald Trump was declared the winner of the U.S. presidential election with a large majority. He will therefore become President of the United States for a second term on January 20, 2025. Since this will be his final possible term according to the U.S. Constitution, he may feel tempted to achieve everything he was unable to accomplish the first time, which could have costly repercussions for humanity.
Not only did he manage to secure re-election, but he also gained a majority in the Senate, where Republicans had previously been tied with Democrats. Similarly, Republicans took an absolute majority in the House of Representatives. It is important to understand that a president who controls both chambers of the U.S. Congress holds, in practice, near-absolute power, with no significant opposition to slow down their agenda.
This is in addition to the many local elections across various states that also resulted in a majority of newly elected Republicans.
The Popular Vote
The issue, for those who consider it one, is that Trump also won the popular vote by an overwhelming majority. One might think that the better candidate prevailed and that the American people simply expressed their choice. However, it is not that simple.
Despite an impeccable campaign by Vice President Kamala Harris and more than sufficient financial backing, it was largely Democratic voters who failed to mobilize, though the results could have been different if they had shown up at the polls.
With over 230 million registered voters for this election, the importance of voting was all the more significant given the stakes. Yet, 30% of Democratic voters did not go to the polls! One could and should conclude that these 30% of abstaining Democratic voters bear responsibility for Trump’s election and its effects on Congress.
Global Crisis for LGBTQ Rights
One of the consequences of this election will be the threat it poses to the global LGBTQ community. Trump’s Republicans, as we already know, no longer see LGBTQ people as a minority worth protecting. They consider them as people living what they see as a “non-normative” sexuality and, therefore, not in need of state support. Some Republicans even view HIV/AIDS as a consequence of immoral acts or as a form of divine punishment.
We can thus expect significant cuts in services aimed at LGBTQ individuals, including the abolition of several programs specifically for transgender people, such as medical coverage, employment assistance, and social support.
Another serious consequence for LGBTQ communities internationally concerns U.S. financial aid, which is often conditioned on respect for human rights, including the rights of LGBTQ minorities, in many developing countries.
Under President Obama, U.S. aid was linked to human rights, particularly in African countries adopting repressive laws against homosexuals, including the death penalty, persecution, and denial of social rights. This condition greatly helped protect the fundamental rights of LGBTQ communities in these countries.
In 2023, Donald Trump had already announced that if re-elected, he would no longer link U.S. aid to LGBTQ rights, arguing that it constituted unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. He instead planned to tie U.S. aid to economic commitments, aiming to reduce China’s and Russia’s influence in Africa.
A Refugee Crisis Looming for Canada
Another consequence of Trump’s election and his absolute majorities in Congress is the threat he poses to foreign refugees in the United States. He recently targeted Haitians, claiming they eat Americans’ dogs and cats and stating he wants to expel them as quickly as possible, with no consideration.
The same goes for the many refugees and immigrants awaiting legal status, whom he labels as illegals, though they are actually awaiting court decisions on their cases. Trump describes them as assaulters, rapists, and dangerous criminals.
It is easy to believe that these immigrants, regardless of their status, will not wait until January 20, 2025, to leave the country and escape the persecution they may face. They might try to move quickly to Canada, which could result in a major humanitarian crisis. As for Mexico, it is unlikely to allow them entry, having already taken measures to expel them to the United States.
An Election with Global Consequences
Only time will reveal the global consequences of the 2024 U.S. election. However, the lesson to be learned from this situation largely falls on the Democratic voters who, likely assuming that Mrs. Harris would easily win, did not show up at the polls.
What happened in the United States could also happen in any other democratic country. Voting is a fundamental right. In some democracies, to prevent a similar scenario, voting is compulsory, with fines for non-participation. Many significant countries mandate voting, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Singapore, and Thailand, to name a few.
Although compulsory voting does not necessarily yield better results, it more accurately reflects the popular will and, in some countries, is considered a civic duty, much like having a driver’s license or obeying the law.
Let us wish ourselves good luck moving forward…