Election countdown in the US: Trump losing ground?
With a hundred days to go before the US presidential elections, the Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden is around 10 percentage points ahead of Republican incumbent Donald Trump in the polls. Commentators discuss potential developments before and after 3 November.
President is mobilising dormant opponents
Efimerida ton Syntakton says Donald Trump's actions against the anti-racist protests are damaging for the US but also for his own chances of re-election:
“Trump's decision to send federal police to cities where mayors refuse to fuel the vicious circle of asymmetric oppression is not only a dangerous civil war-like escalation, it could also decisively influence the election outcome. With his extremely divisive decisions Trump is mobilising the socially radicalised wing of the electorate that rejected the 'Trump or Clinton' dilemma in 2016 and abstained from voting. ... Trump clearly appears as a threat to the democratic stability of the US political system, and that is reflected in Biden's lead in the polls.”
Europe should not rejoice too soon
The transatlantic differences will not simply vanish if Trump loses the election, Jutarnji list stresses:
“If Trump leaves - and we hope he will - it will be easier to strengthen the partnership. But the European side will have to take responsibility for its share of the mistakes. ... Even without Trump, the EU won't find it easy to team up with the United States in world affairs. This is due to the individual member states having different interests while the common foreign and security policy continues to be decided unanimously. Meaning that there will be hardly any clear positions. While many are hoping for and anticipating Trump's defeat, the EU needs to quickly take care of its own problems.”
Divisions hurt everyone
With a hundred days to go before the next election, the country still hasn't digested the previous one, Delo comments:
“The discontent of 2016 drags on, the superpower's deeply divided society is using every political, economic and social issue as fuel for party-political and ideological struggles. ... But in democracies one should be aware that progress is not straightforward and that corrections of course through power shifts can benefit everyone. Both sides have every reason to stand together against the murderous coronavirus that plagues them. But it is more likely that the mutual recriminations and accusations will continue, regardless of who wins the race for the White House. Even if in the end blind hatred in one's own country only benefits foreign enemies.”
Confrontation as a last resort
Trump still has a few aces up his sleeve, warns columnist Gianni Riotta in La Stampa:
“Has Joe Biden already won the race 99 days before the election? Not by a long shot. Despite record pandemic deaths and the economic crisis, the Republican core voters remain loyal to Trump thanks to his defence of their cultural identity, which they see threatened by the new economy and ethnic and sexual integration. ... Trump has sensed this opportunity and is putting all the political capital he has left into social and international confrontation. Together with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who disavows Nixon's internationalist tradition, he's adopted an even harsher tone vis-à-vis China and sent federal officers to Portland to suppress the most recent anti-racist protests.”
Trump will shift focus to outside the US
Aftonbladet also fears that Trump will focus on the confrontation with China in order to divert attention from domestic problems:
“As Joe Biden gains more and more support among voters, demonstrations of power like that towards China will become more important for Trump. As the death rates rise, Trump's actions in the coronavirus crisis are also meeting with growing resistance. ... Against this background the escalating conflict with China can only be seen as part of Trump's re-election campaign. ... The conflict between the US and China could have serious consequences. We are already in the middle of a global crisis because of coronavirus.”