President of Democrats Abroad of Luxembourg, Patrick Canning takes a very dim view of the return of Donald Trump to the head of the United States. A real “chaos” is coming, according to him.
How are you feeling on this inauguration day?
Patrick Canning: It’s a sad day for America. I really think the United States has lost its moral leadership and is going down a very dark path. But this January 20 coincides with the national holiday which celebrates Martin Luther King, so I prefer to rejoice in that than to recognize the inauguration of Trump.
What are your biggest fears?
My biggest fear is the economy. I think Biden has done a very good job with the American economy, the momentum is very strong, but Trump is going to destroy all that. The unemployment rate is at 4% now, leaving the country in a good position! But Trump is sure to ruin everything. And I’m also afraid of Christian nationalism: I fear we’re becoming a theocracy.
I prefer to celebrate Martin Luther King
Trump promised to act forcefully and quickly, particularly in the area of immigration…
I think he wants to create the illusion that he is inflexible on border controls. But in truth, if we look at the numbers, we are at the minimum level: there are still very few people migrating and crossing our borders. He wants to spread hatred, that’s all. I saw that he intends to start raids on the city of Chicago… I don’t know if he’s really going to do it, but again, this is all based on hatred, because it’s is a Democratic town where he is not well received either. He just wants to show off his muscles.
-That scares me a little, but I also think he’s limited in what he can do. Many compare him to Hitler, but I wouldn’t go that far. America has a robust system of controls, it will be very difficult for him to destroy that. Trump wants all the power in his hands, but fortunately that is not possible.
What can Democrats do now? Do they have a chance midtermsin two years?
Yes, I think they have their chance. There will be a boomerang effect, that’s always the case, it’s historic. We must not forget that Trump won by the smallest margin since 1980! His mandate is not that huge.
We learned a lot after losing the election in November. The Democrats were too focused on LGBT issues, women’s rights, which are important yes, but they lost sight of the American worker. It’s not just women, gays and blacks, but also the working class who need to be reached.
How do you see the next weeks, months?
The first few weeks are going to be chaotic, there will be a lot of noise, that’s for sure. I don’t see this in a positive light, I really don’t. I don’t understand, as a parent, how we can celebrate this “orange monster”.
