New York (USA), Nov 7: The people of the world's most powerful country, the United States of America, have once again approved Donald Trump in the presidential election. After defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris, Republican Party candidate Trump secured his second term in the White House. The Republican Party, under Trump's leadership, has gained a majority both in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's candidate, has long been an advocate for immigrants, but she did not receive unanimous support from the immigrant community. Minority voters, including immigrants, African Americans, and women, were expected to support Harris. Key figures from the Nepali community in the US have expressed their belief that Trump was the preferred choice of many such voters, including Nepali immigrants.
Haribol Bhandari, a leader of the US chapter of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), who closely followed the US elections, explained that the American people have embraced the issues raised by Trump.
“The American people voted in favor of Trump's agenda, such as controlling inflation, addressing wars in various regions, and tightening the borders against illegal immigration,” he said.
Trump continues to paint immigrants as criminals
Bhandari claimed that many Nepali immigrants hold the belief that Trump's victory will also benefit Nepal. According to him, the Nepali diaspora in the US also have the opinion that Trump's strong relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could potentially benefit Nepal, given the diplomatic ties between the two neighboring countries.
Additionally, Bhandari suggested that many Nepali immigrants supported Trump's tough stance on illegal immigration reasoning that such a policy could be favorable to Nepal. "Nepali diaspora in the US tend to think that if illegal immigration is controlled, it will benefit Nepal,” he told Republica, “The outflow of Nepali people has hurt the country in some ways, and halting that migration could be advantageous.”
Bhandari also pointed to the potential positive impact of a Trump victory on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which he believes would help stabilize the global economy and bring down prices in Nepal. “If the war ends, the skyrocketing prices in Nepal could be controlled, which would ease economic problems,” he added, “Nepali immigrants could have also factored this potential effect while voting.”
Journalist Ramchandra Bhatt, who has closely followed the US elections, commented that America's political landscape remains far from liberal and inclusive despite Trump's victory.
“American society is still not fully women-friendly in its governance system,” he said after Trump’s win, “We’ve also seen that the US has not been able to lead the liberal trend in the world as it did in the past.”
As discussions continue about Trump's second term, he has already announced plans to adopt an "America First" approach regarding economic reform, tightening immigration policies, and revisiting energy and foreign policy. It is anticipated that Trump may prioritize strengthening border control and revisiting his plans for a border wall to prevent illegal immigration.
Additionally, many experts believe Trump will adopt a tougher stance in dealing with China, Iran, and North Korea—especially given the growing economic and military competition with China. Therefore, it’s expected that stricter policies may be implemented in these areas as well.
Trump's ability to win key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina has been a significant aspect of his success. Surprisingly, he also garnered support from states like California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia—areas traditionally dominated by the Democratic Party.
To secure his victory, Trump comfortably won in states like Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and Virginia.
During the election, Trump presented American voters with several key agendas, including controlling inflation, tightening immigration policies, ending wars abroad, and making the "America First" policy effective. Many commentators believe these proposals resonated strongly with voters, contributing to his victory.
