Advertisement
Opinion | US presidential election: Hong Kong democrats need not support Donald Trump to further their cause
- Supporting the US president in his re-election bid puts Hong Kong’s democracy activists in the awkward position of backing an anti-democratic candidate
- Moreover, the US Democratic Party has consistently supported Hong Kong and is likely to continue to do so
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
With less than a month until the US presidential election, 14 million Americans have already voted. Even though US President Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19, he has continued to put on a strong and undefeatable face for the cameras. In reality, though, he is losing ground and is going all-in to turn the tide.
Advertisement
Throughout his campaign, Trump has mocked his Democrat opponent, former US vice-president Joe Biden, as a senior citizen who stutters, lacks energy and is always sleepy. However, a recent opinion poll shows Biden leads Trump by more than 17 points.
The first presidential debate was denounced as the worst in American history. Trump repeatedly badgered and interrupted Biden and even argued with experienced moderator Chris Wallace. Nevertheless, Biden managed to counter Trump, dispelling voters’ concerns over his ability to hold his own.
However, it was not Biden – his policies or even his performance at the debate – who defeated Trump. Trump’s most fatal flaw is his sore-loser mentality. He disrespects the democratic electoral system and violates the core values of democracy and justice. Trump has cast aspersions on the fairness and legitimacy of the election due to the surging number of mail-in ballots – between 30 and 80 million – amid the pandemic.
Trump’s refusal to commit to conceding the election if he loses has triggered fears of armed conflict or even civil war. His actions during the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement, which has set off violent racial conflict in many states, are clearly adding fuel to the fire. He has been shamelessly exposing his anti-democratic, anti-justice and anti-human rights nature.
09:59
Interruptions and insults dominate first Trump-Biden US presidential debate
Interruptions and insults dominate first Trump-Biden US presidential debate
However, in Hong Kong, alarmingly and ironically, many pro-democracy key opinion leaders support Trump. While in the US, media mogul Rupert Murdoch has backed Trump, in Hong Kong, Next Media founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has called Trump “the only one who can save us”.
Advertisement