Will there be a Trump comeback or will Harris be the first female president of the United States? US election night on ARD started with an extended, two-hour “Maischberger” special broadcast. Instead of the usual six people, the one hour more airtime brought a total of thirteen people into the political talk.
Election issues such as abortion, economics, foreign and security policy and more were discussed. AfD politician Beatrix von Storch caused irritation with two statements about Donald Trump and the storming of the Capitol in 2021.
With a prominent and controversial panel, the show took a look at the tensions that are shaping the election campaign – and showed how deep some of these rifts run in both the USA and Germany. The following high-ranking experts and politicians were guests:
- Karl-Theodor zu Guttenbergformer Federal Minister of Defense
- Emily Haberformer German ambassador to the USA
- Beatrix von Storchdeputy chairwoman of the AfD parliamentary group
- Serap GulerCDU member of the Bundestag
- Hannes Jaenickeactor and climate activist
- Daniela Schwarzerpolitical scientist and foreign policy expert
- Jan Fleischhauer„Focus“-Kolumnist
- Gayle TuftsAmerican-born comedian
- Anna SchneiderWELT chief reporter
- Martin Richenhageneconomic expert and Trump critic
- Jörg SchönenbornWDR editor-in-chief
- Eric T. HansenUS author and Trump voter
- Constance ChucholowskiDemocratic member and Harris voter
The selection of guests was politically diverse and even reflected the deep divide that runs through American society – of course also a central theme of the special program. Despite the wide range of opinions, the two hours also repeatedly focused on the question: What happens next for the USA, Europe and Germany if Donald Trump wins the election again?
“Decentralized violence against people or individual authorities is already conceivable”
“He delivers,” praised Beatrix von Storch of the former US president. Although his personality irritates many people, he is “not a smooth guy who builds cloud cuckoo homes, but rather has made the lives of many people better,” said the AfD MP. CDU politician Serap Güler doubted that Trump had improved the lives of Americans and countered that “one of his biggest promises” was to expand the wall between Mexico and the USA and make Mexico pay for it. It was only a paltry “80 miles and Mexico didn’t pay a cent.”
AfD politician von Storch caused loud displeasure in the audience twice. When it came to Trump’s statements about migrants who would eat pets, von Storch said: “Here in Germany we focus on individual statements, but that doesn’t matter to the Americans. They look at what he did.” But whether she would agree that Trump is a racist, Maischberger asked? “I don’t think he’s a racist, just that the language isn’t entirely appropriate.” There were several loud murmurs from the audience.
Then the discussion about the “storm on the Capitol” caused unrest when Beatrix von Storch described the events of January 6, 2021 as a “so-called storm” and gestured in the air with quotation marks. This remark caused a loud commotion in the audience and presenter Maischberger had to repeatedly ask for calm. With repeated questions, Maischberger tried to get von Storch to come to a clear position as to why she chose this term. The AfD politician defended her position by claiming that there were 40,000 hours of video that provided no evidence of a “storm”.
Then she put herself into perspective: There was an entry and “terrible things happened there, no one disputes that,” said von Storch. Donald Trump only called for peaceful protests, she emphasized. In a surprising closing statement, she tried to put the incident into a larger context and then spoke of the “storm”: “In 2000 and 2004, George Bush’s election results were questioned, there were huge demonstrations after Trump’s election victory and there was the storm on the Capitol for the last time.” But one cannot blame Trump for this, said von Storch.
Former ambassador Emily Haber does not believe in the danger of a new storm on the Capitol in Washington. Donald Trump and the Republicans could challenge the election this time too – similar to the 2020 election, which Trump described as “stolen” – which then led to the events at the Capitol in 2021. “Everything is prepared today, also because it is under the Biden administration,” said Haber. Targeted measures have been taken to address possible lawsuits and challenges more quickly. If an incident similar to the storming of the Capitol were to occur again, the security authorities would also be better prepared, said Haber. However, she acknowledged that violence could occur despite all precautionary measures. “Decentralized violence against people or individual authorities is already conceivable,” said the ex-ambassador.
“Trump is a womanizer, racist, liar and criminal. For me he is a clown, not a real politician”
When it came to economic policy, former Trump advisor Martin Richenhagen didn’t speak well of Donald Trump. His successor Joe Biden pursued a much better and more stable economic policy, and Trump caused uncertainty with his often “erratic” approach. In addition, it was always unclear what would happen next. Richenhagen said that although he was conservative, he was a staunch Trump opponent. He then sharply criticized him: “Trump is a womanizer, racist, liar and criminal. For me he is a clown, not a real politician,” said Richenhagen. Trump will not win, he is optimistic. “I have correctly predicted every election since 2004. That’s why I’m optimistic,” the German ex-manager concluded.
Another key point of discussion was the geopolitical responsibility of the USA in the coming years. Emily Haber emphasized that the outcome of the election will have far-reaching significance not only for the USA, but also for Europe. CDU politician Güler said that when it comes to security and defense policy issues, Kamala Harris and Trump “probably don’t differ much at all” and that the Democrat Harris will also “demand a lot from Europe and Germany,” even if it is “probably more comfortable.” will with her.
Political scientist Daniela Schwarzer sees Trump as far more dangerous in the area of foreign policy for Europe, especially with regard to the course of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. A possible deal between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin for peace in Ukraine could have catastrophic consequences for Europe. Trump would probably not have the necessary foresight for the European security order and would also not consider what further aggressive steps Putin could take, said Schwarzer. Putin has said exactly what he wants to achieve in Europe, she said: “He wants to expand territory, he wants to have control, he wants to destroy the democracies in his neighborhood. Ukraine is one case and Moldova is another.”
“Donald Trump will cause immense damage”
AfD politician von Storch and CDU politician Güler also argued about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. “The main thing is peace,” said von Storch, adding that Trump might be able to negotiate an end to the war with Putin if he became president. “The main thing is peace?” Güler countered indignantly. “Ukraine wants to live in freedom. She has been fighting to live in freedom for more than two years.” And the only one who doesn’t want to negotiate is the Russian president, said Güler.
The special program also touched on the question of how deep the divisions in American society actually are. ARD election expert Jörg Schönenborn cited current surveys from the USA that showed that around half of the US population still supports Trump. The country is essentially “on the rocks,” as he put it – and for many Americans, what is at stake there is not just the election of a president, but the fate of democracy itself.
Actor Jaenicke summed up his opinion on a Trump comeback: “He will cause immense damage.” But if the 78-year-old wins, the USA and the world will survive the next four years, he said. Jaenicke was pleased to point out that after that, Trump would no longer be allowed to be elected US President for a third time.
The “Maischberger” special broadcast on the US election was not a simple political discussion, but a good discourse about social tensions and the future of the USA as well as the influence on Europe. The guests represented a wide range of opinions, and the opposing positions in particular made the show an exciting start to election night – followed by the first election results on ARD.
