“In some ways this election is unique in American history”
According to many observers, the survival of American democracy is at stake in this year’s presidential election, says Adam Hjorthén. Photo: Nevra Biltekin Hjorthén
Hello Adam Hjorthén, docent in history and Senior Lecturer in North American Studies at the Department of English. Is it completely certain that the presidential election in the US will be between Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
“Yes, the primaries continue until the beginning of June but both candidates have already secured a majority of the delegates to their party conventions.”
Does this election so far differ from other American presidential elections?
“In some ways this election is unique in American history. This is the first time a former president is facing criminal charges and several cases are in progress in parallel with his campaign to be re-elected as president. The legal proceedings that Trump is facing also give state and federal courts a very important role in this election.
According to many observers, the survival of American democracy is at stake in this year’s presidential election. Both the right and the left are warning of this danger. While the Democrats perceive democracy to be threatened by Trump, the Republicans argue that democracy is threatened by Biden.
Another factor that makes this year’s election unusual is the age of the two candidates. Biden will be 81 and Trump 78 on election day. No matter which of them wins, he will be the oldest US President ever.”
How will the election campaign continue now during the spring? Are there any special events we should watch out for?
“Since Biden and Trump have already won their party’s nominations in reality, the upcoming primaries will not be particularly big events as such. Instead, the next important step will be the formal nominations at the party conventions, which will be held by the Republicans on 15–18 July and by the Democrats on 19–22 August.
One thing to keep an eye on is Trump’s legal cases. Exactly how these will unfold is unclear, as Trump has appealed several of them. One important date is 22 April, when the Supreme Court will hold a hearing in the federal case on alleged electoral fraud. Trump’s attempt to claim immunity in the case was dismissed by a court in Washington DC and the Supreme Court will now determine whether to uphold that judgment and if so whether the proceedings on electoral fraud can go ahead.”
Which issues do you think will be most important to American voters?
“In the midterm elections in 2022, it was primarily two issues that were decisive: a perceived threat to American democracy and abortion rights following the decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. As the Democrats fared considerably better than expected in the 2022 elections on the back of these two issues, they’re likely to focus on them again in this year’s presidential election.
Two other issues that will play a major role are immigration and the economy. As things stand, Trump has a certain advantage in opinion polls on both these issues. It will also be important to watch how Biden handles the war between Israel and Hamas. There is growing discontent here, particularly among Arab-American voters in states like Michigan that Biden can’t afford to lose.”
Åsa Malmberg