US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are fighting for the presidency in the deeply divided United States.
Trump has focused on “law and order,” Biden has tried to strike a conciliatory note. The Black Lives Matter movement and whether Trump will free his taxes are among the many questions Americans will consider when choosing their president.
As the hotly contested elections draw near, Al Jazeera has spoken to voters in the US and asked nine questions to help understand who they are supporting and why.
Tom Noll
Age: 67 years
Profession: Retired machinist
Lives in: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Elected in 2016: Donald Trump
Will vote in 2020: Joe Biden
Top election problem: coronavirus pandemic
Are you going to vote Why or why not?
“I always vote. I don’t miss any elections … The area code was the first we put in postal ballot papers because of COVID-19. I started when I was 18. My parents always voted and so did I.
“I can’t remember ever missing one unless I was sick or something, but I can’t remember ever missing one. Even in local elections, when nobody’s running half the time, I usually manage to get a vote. “
What is your main problem?
“I’ve been a Democrat all my life, and in the last election I voted Republicans for Trump. I was sick of the Clintons and all that.
“In this election, I don’t know what I would call top priority. I hope they fix this COVID-19 problem. One of them has to do something whoever gets in there. “
Who will you vote for?
“I was undecided, but now I’ve voted for Biden.”
Is there a main reason you picked your candidate?
“I leaned over to Biden because he’s a local. And he’s probably the only Democrat who could beat Trump.
“I didn’t like some of the things Trump said. I voted for him four years ago, now I’m voting for Biden, it’s that simple. I think Biden will win, but it will be a close choice and anything could happen. “
Are you satisfied with the state of the country?
“Except for the pandemic, yes.”
What do you want to change?
“I hope the Democrats or Republicans get along and we get some bills for the people instead of always arguing about so many things. They just keep fighting.
“The Democrats hate Trump and basically it is, they don’t like him. You don’t want him there. I dont know. You have to live with it. “
“You know, a lot of presidents are not liked when they come in … I would like to see more cooperation with Congress and the Senate. It seems to be going very quickly that they came to terms with this pandemic and they spent that incentive money … But after that, they didn’t really get along well. “
Do you think the election will change anything?
“I don’t think there will be much. I hope there is, but I don’t think there will be much. You have to change the whole structure in Washington. Bring in new people, new blood. They are just all power-hungry people. They are all millionaires. I mean everyone. All congressmen. All presidents through history. “
What is your biggest concern for the US?
“My immediate concern is this pandemic. I mean, it’s half closed the country. Hopefully you need to get some kind of vaccine or something, that would be the immediate concern. “
“Once people settle down and go back to work, the other problems of unemployment will be resolved. And the Black Lives Matter too, you know [George Floyd] to be killed … you have to solve these racial problems and the COVID-19. “
Comments are closed.