‘I fear for the future’: What Lancaster students think about the US presidential election

Donald Trump is set to be the US President for the second time after beating his competitor, Kamala Harris. The election brought to light different disputed issues such as women’s reproductive rights, the economy, marginalised groups and the war in Gaza. So, we asked Lancaster University students via Instagram to submit their opinion on the results of the election.

The response, as anticipated, was predominantly negative.

One student said to The Lancaster Tab: “American who moved to the UK here. I’m so fucking scared for my family.”

Women

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump has consistently changed his stance on abortion, causing frustration among social conservatives and anti-abortion advocates who are advocating for a nationwide ban. Trump has frequently claimed credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, emphasising that three of the justices he appointed to the Court were instrumental in overturning the constitutional right to abortion. Since the overturning, 17 states have outlawed nearly all abortions. The reversal of abortion as a constitutional right allows Trump to impose restrictions on abortion access without requiring approval from the Senate or House of Representatives.

One of Trump’s policies, Project 2025, reduces access to abortion. This is because one of the policies is to enforce the Comstock Act 1873, which is one of the main policies banning the mailing of abortion pills. This could be detrimental for the access to life saving healthcare for some women to access the medication.

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Trump has also been accused of sexual misconduct dating all the way back to the 1970s and has been found liable in court for sexual abuse. Around two dozen women have also come forward to accuse Trump in public.

Furthermore, Trump also said about Nancy Pelosi: “She’s a bad person. Evil! She’s an evil, sick crazy b- oh no,” at his final campaign rally.

Students at Lancaster told us: “I genuinely can’t believe it, it makes me so sad to realise how much the world hates women.”

Economy

Trump claims he will make some changes under his administration such as rescinding any “unspent” funds under the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening the Democrats’ climate law and US competitiveness in critical sectors vital for the country’s sustainability, this would also mean that it would get rid of provisions that have lowered the cost of medication meaning the cost of living will rise. Trump also wants to roll back the Biden-Harris administration’s strong competition policies, meaning this will increase economic inequality.

Against the majority of the replies we got, in support of Trump, one Lancaster student said: “The economy and inflation will be stabilised, border will be secure, conflicts resolved!”

Marginalised groups

Trump has had many prominent policies on immigration and protections for the LGBTQ+ community. Trump claimed before he won the election that he would use his powers punish doctors who provide gender affirming care for minors and impose consequences for teachers who discuss it with students. Trump has also reportedly spent millions on anti-trans ads, with $19 million spent on two TV adverts.

An anonymous student said: “As a queer woman, this is so scary to watch.”

War in Gaza

The issue we got the most responses on by Lancaster students is the conflict in Gaza, with one student saying: “I fear for the lives of Ukrainians, Lebanese people and Palestinians”

Another added: “Europe, the Middle East and US human rights are going to come under severe strain after January”

Trump said that we wants to get the conflict in Gaza “over with” by the time he enters office.