'I just hope there is no World War Three'
Mr Carlos Suarez (in white shirt) high-fives a fellow Trump supporter. Photo: Wong Pei Ting
SINGAPORE — TODAY spoke with several Americans living and working here as businessman Donald Trump clinched a stunning victory in the US presidential election on Wednesday (Nov 9). Their comments, ranging from resignation to disbelief, have been lightly edited for clarity.
WHAT THEY SAID:
“It’s shocking and it’s embarrassing. You question whether you want to admit that you are an American. It seems like very uneducated people had been able to influence who is going to be in charge. I think Trump is boisterous and appeal to people who are uneducated. Hopefully Trump will get the right people around him to rope him in a little bit. But from a very simple standpoint, I just hope there is no World War Three. That’s it.” – Mr David Beckett, 33, an API integration manager who had been in Singapore for 6 years.
“People voted for a big change, and we have to hope for the best. He said a lot of mean things during the campaign and hurt a lot of people’s feelings. He has to somehow unify everyone. We hope he can do that. People are very uncertain. What kind of president will he be? He has no experience at this level. People are going to worry what is going to happen to the country. As an American abroad, I care about my country, and I am going to worry that the country is not in very good hands. I am going to worry that he doesn’t support our allies. I just worry what the world is going to be like.” – Mr Tom Benner, 57, freelance writer.
“Frankly, Trump doesn’t owe many people favours. He comes from money. He doesn’t need a super backer to get elected. Some of his views are extreme, sure. But you can tell from the reactions that people are fed up with the political and they want something different.” – Mr Carlos Suarez, 35, a Trump-supporter who works in law enforcement.
“I think I will have to call in sick for work, just lay in bed all day, and mourn for the country.” – Ms Rachel Aland, 30, economist.
“If Trump wins, Americans in Singapore will probably be looking for longer terms to stay here in Singapore.” – Mrs Althea Grant, 47.
“People are in shock. They are trying to understand (the results) and rationalise it for the most part. (The result) comes down to the fact that Caucasian males and females who are less educated and who do not benefit as much from globalisation are angry. They feel like they have been left out. And that was vastly underestimated in the US Election, as well as in Brexit.” – Mr Reuben Hintz, 35, PhD student at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
“I’ve been watching the live coverage at work the whole time. When it was turning his way, I was shocked. We weren’t expecting that. Everyone was surprised. I don’t think it will affect me very much living in Singapore. I am hopeful he will be an okay president, but I really don’t know.” – Mr James Hudson, 32, auditor.
