The 2020 presidential election is an election that has divided the country. On one side are the Americans that support President Donald Trump, elected in 2016. Many of Trump’s voters are fiercely loyal and supportive of him, to the point that they excuse any action he has done, no matter how divisive, childish, or untrue. This is helped by the President’s constant exaggerations 

“So, I think I’ve done more for the Black community than any other president, and let’s take a pass on Abraham Lincoln, cause he did good, although it’s always questionable,” Trump said.

One listening to this has to wonder if Trump really believes it. Is it another empty campaign statement? Or does he really look at his actions and congratulate himself? Voters listening to this sort of rhetoric may well be taken in, despite the fact that in the past, Trump has claimed that laziness is a trait in black people, and that he wished he could have “short guys in yarmulkes” counting his money rather than African Americans. Trump has no consistency in his views, swinging wildly from congratulating himself for ending racism to perpetuating untrue stereotypes. Although these two statements are opposite in meaning, they are both extreme. Trump doesn’t make compromises or find a middle ground. 

 On the other side stand the Americans that support former Vice President Joseph Biden, who served from 2008-2016 under President Obama. Biden’s supporter base is overall less supportive than Trump’s. Many people support him because they feel he is the best of two bad options. Unlike Trump, who is as conservative as a politician could be, Biden is more of a moderate Democrat, something that frustrates the supporters of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, two candidates in the Democratic Primary. Biden has had his share of problematic statements as well, claiming that anyone who struggled to decide to vote for him or Trump “ain’t black.” Biden later apologized for this, saying he shouldn’t have been such a wise guy. That isn’t much of an apology, but it’s slightly better than Trump dodging responsibility for his words completely. 

For many Americans, myself included, this election seems like something from a television show. The first Presidential Debate, held on September 29, would not have seemed out of place on SNL and spawned hundreds of memes and TikToks making fun of both candidates and expressing sympathy for the moderator, Chris Wallace. Wallace had difficulty keeping both candidates from interrupting and allowing the other to speak, but Trump was by far the perpetrator of the unprofessionalism of this debate. He interrupted Biden over 70 times, most of which was shouting “Lies!” or “Tell us about your son and the bribe!” There were parts in the debate where I covered my ears to prevent the incessant shouting from reaching me. Both men acted childish in both demeanor and what they said. While calling Trump a clown and asking him to shut up during the debate were funny on Biden’s part, that’s not the type of thing I expect a future president to say during a debate. No doubt he was driven to it by Trump’s shouting, sulking, and overall completely ignoring simple manners, but he should have kept his cool and stayed presidential, in sharp contrast to Trump. 

The thing about Trump that concerns me the most is simply what he says and has said in the past. Many Trump supporters have claimed that one of the reasons they support him is because he is honest and doesn’t make empty promises. That makes his statements all the more concerning, especially pertaining to immigrants. America is a country built on immigration. Trump’s family were immigrants at one point, and so were almost everybody’s in this country. You’d think Trump would have some respect for Native Americans, given the emphasis he puts on being a “real” American, but instead he cracks jokes about the Trail of Tears and Elizabeth Warren’s Native American heritage. Immigrants are crucial to the American economy.  They increase money in circulation, besides being hard working and contributing to society in many ways. America has long been heralded as the land where everybody can be free. In the Declaration of Independence, it states that all people should have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To Trump’s mind, this doesn’t include people of color, immigrants, low income families, or even women. 

The idea that people could support a man with at least 26 sexual assault counts frankly is reprehensible. The idea that people could listen to a man say that all Mexicans are rapists, saying “You have to treat ’em like shit,” regarding women, and expressing publicly that he would date his own daughter, and still think such a person should be the President of the United States is mind-blowing. The refusal of Trump to acknowledge the systematic racism in this country is deluded, and his refusal to denounce white supremacy should, if anything, make voters realize the kind of views this man holds. 

While I can’t vote, I hold strong opinions about the leadership in our country because as an American, it affects me. Just looking at the way the coronavirus was handled shows the difference a leader can make to a country. If Hillary Clinton had won in 2016, perhaps the high school could be in person now. No matter how privileged you are, the President can change everybody’s lives for better or for worse.

I don’t love Biden. I don’t really like him. But compared to President Trump, he is an example of what a president should be. He has ample political experience. He has actual plans for his presidency. Under Trump, over 210,000 people have died from the coronavirus. The economy has tanked. Millions of people are out of work. Biden’s America won’t be a great America. But it will be a sane America.