By Kelsey Micklas
Like many American students studying abroad, I get asked “What happened with Trump?” daily.
Quite frankly, I hate this question. It is almost an impossible question to answer. There were so many different factors that went into Trump’s success in the 2016 election that it is almost impossible to sum it up over the course of a 20 minute Uber ride or on line for a coffee.
On Friday, I watched the Inauguration from my London flat, but I did not feel like I was over 3,000 miles from home. Feelings of uneasiness and concern for the future have crossed the Atlantic. I watched BBC coverage of the inauguration, and the overall tone seemed to be one of concern and worry for what a Trump presidency will bring for the world.
After the Brexit referendum, the British people were already afraid about their economy. Now, with a Trump presidency, there is an added level of uncertainty about what the future holds. The British – and the rest of the world – feel a deep sense of unease about how the Trump presidency will affect them.
London is a city of immigrants. People from every part of the world live here, and speak hundreds of different languages.Trump’s views on immigration are a cause for concern for many here, especially those whohope to come to the United States.
“I applied for a study visa and it already got denied” said Nathan, an Australian bartender in the trendy Camden district. He wanted to go to the U.S. to study aviation, but he says the U.S. is not approving any visas if the person does not have a job with a steady income. “I blame Trump,” he said.
Nathan is not the only Brit worried about President Trump. On Friday, over 1,000 demonstrators protested Trump’s inauguration outside of the United States Embassy, and a huge banner reading “Build Bridges not Walls” was hung over the iconic Tower Bridge.
The United States is the most powerful nation in the world. And the president does not only serve the United States, but many countries around the world look to America. By making his policies revolve around “America First”, Trump implies that he will only make decisions benefitting the U.S., and that he is willing to step on rest of the world to put the U.S. ahead.
At Sunday service at Westminster Abbey, the “Prayer for the People” included President Trump and the American population. The congregation prayed for the success of the new president, in hopes that he will attempt to unify America.
People here want to see President Trump succeed because if he succeeds, America succeeds and remains the global powerhouse it has been for decades.
However, Trump’s rhetoric has created a sense of concern, not only among Americans, but also for people in other countries around the world.
