How Trump changed youths’ view of America – America has always looked so pristine on the outside, being the symbol of political correctness, this may not be its image any longer
Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s Presidential election is the most controversial event of this decade yet, affecting the lives of people in the US and elsewhere. America has always looked so pristine on the outside, being the symbol of political correctness, this may not be its image any longer. Teens across India tell Aviva Mehta whether Trump’s presidency has changed how they view America
I don’t like Trump. I feel if so many people voted for him, there must be something wrong with the population. Also, if he thinks in a certain way and demeans people, it also means that a large part of the country is full of the same hate and racism as well.
— Drishya Khanna, 18, Mumbai
I think it might have changed my opinion a bit. I’ve seen so many videos of black men being killed by policemen, Muslims getting thrown out of American planes for speaking Arabic, people being detained outside airports and left homeless, that I have started to view the country differently. It could be the frustration against minorities that is all coming out now since people think it’s ‘alright’ considering Donald Trump is the US President. He could have never won without the support of half the country, which he obviously got.
— Apeksha Chauhan, 18, Mumbai
I think that Trump brought to fore a lot of hate that America has, and showed everyone what humans can actually be like when they are angry: racist, misogynist and impractical. While America looks like a perfect first world country on the outside, it has a lot of deep-rooted issues. So yes, Trump’s America did reveal a different and very shocking side of the country.
— Ikram Nagani, 18, Pune
While Trump had a lot of supporters during the election, a huge part of the US is retaliating right now. While I don’t have a changed opinion America, I definitely feel there is a lot of racism and religious discrimination (especially against Muslims) in the US.
— Miraj Shah, 19, Mumbai
While I don’t support Trump, I am not completely against him. Contrary to seeing the “Trump side” of America, we also got to see the other side — people generating fake news and manipulating views against the President Elect. Even Hollywood thought they could influence people’s decisions if they stood behind a woman who was not exactly a great candidate either.
— Araash Mehta, 15, Mumbai
Donald Trump is a hateful person, but I think that judging a whole country based on one very extreme man would be as bad as what he’s doing — judging an entire religion based on a handful of people. So while it’s difficult to stay neutral, my opinion of the country will stay the same, because several Americans I know have integrity and love.
— Abrar Faiyaz, 18, Kodaikanal
A country will always be a reflection of its leader, especially a democratic country, because it is the people who have voted for the President. While many say Trump is ‘not their President’ and Clinton ‘won the popular vote’, it is obvious that he could not have won without support. So, in that sense, it’s obvious what people thought America was under Obama’s rule may not be what it actually is.
— Joshua John, 18, Bengaluru
