Aaron and Inge have been hitting the campaign trail in the UK
Amid all the breaking news around Covid, the American election feels like it has snuck up on us, and it is now just a day away. It has been an election like no other: Trump caught Covid, face-to-face campaigning was cut back, and there are fears that legal challenges will tie up the result for weeks.
It might all feel very far away from us, but it’s not. Around 200,000 Americans live in the UK, about the same number as live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and there has been an active campaign for their vote from both parties. Two campaigners share their stories below.
Aaron Flahaut, Republican
Aaron Flahaut has lived in Suffolk for four years
It has always been my dream to live in the UK. I grew up in Washington state, where we definitely do not have any of the castles and tumbledown churches, or the scones and clotted cream that you have here, so I jumped at the chance to transfer to Suffolk with work in 2016.
That was a slightly odd year to be a Republican in the UK. For me, I support the party because of the economy, which I think will really recover once Covid is under control. You don’t have to love Trump’s style to vote for him – plenty of people don’t – but I don’t expect him to be perfect.
It’s especially weird to see all the people who hate Trump and aren’t even American citizens. I watched the protests against our president in London in 2018, including the Trump baby balloon flown over Westminster, and just felt confused. If you can’t even vote for him, why would [you] care? I would never protest for or against Boris Johnson.
Sometimes it can be really hard to talk about Trump in the UK. Last week I was filming for a slot on The One Show with Ed Balls in a restaurant in Suffolk, where we chatted about the American election. I was very friendly with him, with the restaurant owners, with everyone, but as soon as I started talking positively about Trump, I noticed odd looks. It makes you apprehensive to bring him up sometimes.
I’m a religious person, which I think makes it easier for me to deal with the divisions in politics. Some atheists see politicians either as gods or devils. They demand perfection in the president, who they expect to be their Messiah. I don’t expect the president to do that for me: I already have a Messiah. All I need is a woman or man who can lead the country for four years.
Even though I’m thousands of miles from home, I do feel like I’m on the frontline of the campaign. I’ve been around the UK talking to US citizens, encouraging them to vote for Trump, and have done a lot online. I’m part of Republicans Overseas which, in a normal year, would host events with senators and members of Congress. This year, we’ve had a good programme of politicians talking via Zoom to our members, which has worked well.
Having lived in both the US and the UK, I think there are things that each country does better. I was worried about going to college – or what you call university – in the US because of the enormous debt I would get into. I came from a pretty poor background – we were sometimes homeless, sometimes on food stamps – but I am ambitious and want to do better than my parents, so I think it’s awesome that the fees are relatively low here. It helps people improve their lives.
But I also notice how high taxes are here, which I think holds the middle and working classes back. A lot of that tax goes towards the NHS, which is a great idea but in practice doesn’t always work perfectly. It’s great that you don’t need to worry about having insurance here, but the care you get can be very variable. My partner had our first child in an NHS hospital six weeks ago, and it was a really difficult experience.
Also, unusually for an American, I’m not a fan of the Royal Family. I don’t think anyone should have that much influence just because of who their parents are.
Inge Kjemtrup, Democrat
Inge Kjemtrup, now a permanent resident, has lived in the UK for 22 years
My husband and I moved to the UK from San Francisco 22 years ago for his job, thinking it would be a temporary placement for a couple of years. Both of us fell in love with this country, and decided to stay permanently. I write about classical music for a living, and London is really one of the best cities in the world to do my job – at least it was before Covid.
I got involved with Democrats Abroad UK in 2008, during Obama’s election campaign. I just found him such an inspiring candidate, who could really take my home country in the right direction. My approach to politics is that I just want people to have equal rights and a decent way of life. I loved the policy of Obamacare for that reason – making healthcare affordable for everyone.
In previous years, Democrats Abroad UK would have a campaign office set up in London, because there are so many Americans living here. We would set up stalls on high streets, giving out leaflets, and voter booths in farmers’ markets. Some of us carry flyers around with us and hand them out any time we hear an American accent.
This year we’ve had to be creative because of Covid. One of our volunteers put up a QR code on a sign, which people could scan to get voting information.
I think Trump is much worse than a typical Republican president. I believe he wants to dismantle our democracy, stir up fear in society, and that his poor handling of the pandemic has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans.
He also seems intent on making the divisions between us worse, by riling us up against each other, which will leave an incredibly toxic legacy.
I talk to my friends and family back home and see how directly Trump’s policies are affecting their lives. He is trying to dismantle efforts to fight climate change, including withdrawing the US from the Paris climate agreement.
This doesn’t just harm people in the future – it’s having a huge effect right now. My family was texting me saying how glad they were that it rained recently in San Francisco. It was the first time after the wildfires that the air wasn’t yellow. It’s frightening with the pandemic too – my 86-year-old mother can barely go out anywhere because of the ludicrously high risk in the US. Lots of my friends have been bereaved or ill, too, and yet Trump still hosts these huge campaign events.
One thing that gives me hope is the uprising against Trump’s policies, both in the UK and worldwide. The day after his inauguration was the Women’s March in London, when 100,000 people protested against Trump’s sexism. I remember being in Grosvenor Square on that day, which was just packed with protesters, and feeling a little bit of hope.
In 2016, Democrats Abroad organised a big election night watch party. We all gathered together and saw the results come in, feeling completely dispirited. This year, I’ll be watching at home with my husband and hoping for the best. After so much division, the US is ready to come back together again and share a virtual hug.
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