Ground report Washington: Harris has 'save democracy' votes, inflation keeps Trump in the game

An attorney from Chicago, John T. Fitzgerald, and his wife have seen many elections in the US. But visiting the White House and the Capitol in Washington D.C. on a holiday, Fitzgerald says the elections coming up in November are different as this is about “preserving democracy”.

We spent over two weeks travelling across the US to gauge what is on the minds of the American voters ahead of the elections.

In the seat of power, Washington D.C., the memories of January 6, 2021, are afresh in the minds of many, when supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to try and stop the certification process of Joe Biden as the US President and rejected the election results. One person was killed in police firing, several policemen were injured, and damage worth billions of dollars was caused to the Capitol. Many still see that as an ‘attack on democracy’ that brought the nation in peril.

A group of elderly friends on the train from New York to Washington told us that it is all very bitter, and the main issue is saving democracy. “People are really concerned about preserving our system. Americans want to keep what we have had for 250 years…which is individuals must have their voice heard and have free and fair elections. That is a real concern that the same is under threat and danger,” Paul said. His friend Flain said Harris’s win is important and says he is “afraid about the other outcome” for the US.

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Paul added that he has never seen an election that has been this close, and this contentious. “American elections have generally been competitive, but people on both sides talk to each other. This one is seeing real animosity and almost hatred of the other point of view…intolerance to the other’s point of view, not something that Americans are known for,” Paul added. He said inflation, immigration and the abortion laws are issues, too, but the main issue is ‘saving democracy’.

The Fitzgerald couple has rather strong views, too, as they call Trump the “devil incarnate, a reprobate felon, spouse-abusing crook” and say Harris stands for “freedom, righteousness and is good for the poor”. Fitzgerald says it is a “shameful thing” that Trump was once president “and may well again win” which makes him anxious, while his wife says the US is ready for a woman president. “I was very sad when Hillary Clinton lost…it is about time for a woman to be the President, and we support Kamala all the way,” his wife told us.

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A group of elderly friends on the train from New York to Washington told us that it is all very bitter, and the main issue is saving democracy.  

‘Inflation means Trump is in the game’

However, the issue of inflation and immigration, as well as the world being in strife among wars, has Trump firmly in the game, with some in Washington D.C. banking on him to resolve these issues. “Making America Great Again – that is Trump’s slogan…and that is resonating because nearly everything is expensive. Some say Vice-President Kamala Harris pushed Biden out of the race. The biggest issue this election is inflation and cost of living,” says Richard, who has come from Colorado with his wife on a holiday to see the White House.

“Everything is costing more, and that is a problem for every citizen. If you think about it, the rich and wealthy do not have a problem, but the poor and middle-income people have a big problem to live and survive. Trump is promising to change it, but people in public office make a lot of promises. In case of Trump, some come true. I know that when he was in office, we had gas for 2 dollars and 20 cents. Today, gas price is 4-5 dollars. Prices of groceries and in restaurants have doubled. We want a lower cost of living,” the Richard couple told us.

His wife said the world is also under strife and wars are going on which were not there before. “People are speaking about World War 3 — we have wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe which we earlier did not have. We think Trump can handle this,” she said.

So this means Trump could sit in the White House come November? “You have a coin in your pocket, we can flip it (laughing). This race is so close and so tight that we do not know,” the Richard couple says.

Washington is a blue state, having voted for all Democratic nominees since 1988.

‘President must have composure’

“It is such a divided nation right now, women’s rights are firmly on the table,” says a group of American women at the Capitol in Washington. Reminiscing about the events of January 6, 2021, at the Capitol, they say — “Regardless of who wins or who loses, it is all about having composure. Even if you lose, you need to take it gracefully. You can’t win every election, but you can still be a graceful person and have some humility and support whoever comes after you,” these women said.

A young Indian American man accompanying them said it is also important that the economy of the US is put in a better position by the next incumbent. “The cost of goods and gas has gone up so much. We hope the next President can help us bounce us back from this,” he said.

The women added that the US needs to come together as one as there has been enough division. “The country definitely needs its first woman president in Kamala Harris…let’s get back to peace and let’s get back to unification as that is the best for our country,” they say.

Washington is a blue state, having voted for all Democratic nominees since 1988. So while the support for Harris is apparent here, there are voices in support of Trump, too, as inflation is a wide-impacting issue in the US this time.

As Richard says, we could “flip a coin” to predict who will sit in the White House next.