A highly anticipated tight race saw Donald Trump make a shock return to the White House, with his running mate JD Vance hailing it to be the “greatest political comeback in American history”.
For his supporters, Trump’s victory will see a return to “America first” and other conservative policies such as tax cuts and deregulation. But through a human rights lens, what does 4 years of Trump mean for those in America and globally?
One of the major parts of Trump’s 2024 campaign was his tough stance on immigration and border security. He has ambitiously promised the biggest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in US history, vowing to seal the border and increase the number of law enforcement officers. There are also plans to invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected members of drug cartels and criminal gangs without a court hearing. This has some worrying implications regarding people’s right to fair trial and the extreme likelihood of racial profiling and bias amongst police officers.
“They are eating the dogs!”
Trump claimed during his debate with Harris, regarding a false rumour that Haitian migrants in Springfield Ohio were killing their neighbours’ pets to eat them.
While it’s hard not to laugh at such incoherent nonsense, there is a seriousness to using dehumanising rhetoric against vulnerable groups. Further to this, Trump’s top pledge to stop the migrant “invasion” again is an example of using dangerous rhetoric that positions migrants as a false threat to our society. Scapegoating migrants costs lives. When you dehumanise, you make it socially permissible to inflict violence and discrimination against whom you have dehumanised. Not only this, but the repetition of migration being a dominating topic both in US and European elections is deeply alarming, as it is testament to the far-right ability to divide our communities and distract us from progressive solutions to achieving real economic and social change.
Moreover, Trump’s comeback is also highly concerning for those who care about the protection of reproduction and LGBTQ+ rights. In his first term, Trump’s appointment of 3 Conservative judges led directly to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe V Wade, which ended nearly 50 years of federal protection for abortion rights. As of his 2024 campaign, Trump has been inconsistent on abortion. There have been talks of support for a national abortion ban, but Trump has said he wouldn’t sign such a Ban. Experts suggest what is more likely is efforts to restrict access to abortion pills and birth control. This would no doubt continue the set back for reproductive rights for women in America, as many feel already uneasy about the lack of assured protection that came with the decision to overturn Roe V Wade.
Following this, Trump (amongst many other far-right global forces) have stirred up hatred against the LGBTQ+ community, particularly Trans people. Culture War issues such as “Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports” (Trump 2024 #17 pledge) and the threat of cutting federal funds to schools that teach Critical Race Theory or “radical” gender ideology , all serve to ramp up hatred and distract us. This toxic rhetoric no doubt has played a role in the rise of hate crimes against LGBTQ+ community, and is extremely worrying about people’s right to safety, personal expression and association.
Unfortunately, the threat Trump poses to human rights is extensive. In regard to the environment, Trump proves to be a terrifying disaster as a self proclaimed sceptic. He plans to roll back on several environmental protections, including plans to limit CO2 emissions from power plants and vehicles. He also vowed to expand Arctic drilling. As we come to a critical turning point as per the latest IPCC report, news of Trump’s victory is hearts sinking for those that care about climate action as this crucial moment in history.
Lastly, with brief mention to international issues - although hugely important in their significance. Trump, in line with his isolationist foreign policy stance, has repeatedly claimed he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hrs and bring peace to the Middle East. While it is difficult to make predictions, Trump’s friendliness with both Putin and Netanyahu is a sign that the rights of Ukrainians and Palestinans suffering will not be of highest concern for Trump when he is at the negotiating table.
Overall, Trump’s comeback for many that care deeply about human rights comes with lots of anxiety and worry about what the next 4 years will entail. I also think the outcome of this election is a damning wake up call (to centrist parties like the Democrats) and a warning to parties in power (like Keir Starmer’s Labour party). If you fail to offer and deliver real economic change to people’s lives, you give way to harmful far-right forces that seek to divide and scapegoat vulnerable communities - whose rights are most at threat.
It is difficult to say what we can do, but I think it is important to not concede to feeling powerless and disillusioned. In the words of Angela Davis, a prominent American civil rights and social justice activist:
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”
This Blog Post was written by Lisa Bennett.
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