Watching From Across the Atlantic

Over the past few months, headlines in the US include rallies, protests, the wall, and the ban. As Americans living abroad, it can be difficult to participate in the narrative as we attempt to assimilate into French culture while looking back at the US through a different perspective. Political views have divided the nation, but staying up to date on current events have shaped the way students see the world around them. Since many of AUP students are Americans we took a closer look at how the Trump administration has affected students, and how they stay connected while being an entire ocean away.

It is important to note that conservatives are a small minority at the American University of Paris. Despite this, one Democrat and two Republicans were interviewed for this article. We asked each of the below students the same set of questions about their political views, how their lives have changed, and how they stay informed while living abroad.

Desmond Hague is a senior and informed supporter of the Trump administration. Despite being born in the United Kingdom, Hague is an American citizen who has lived in a range of states from South Dakota to California.    

Ali Beau Nielsen is a senior from Riverside, California, and the editor-in-chief of the Peacock Plume. He, like much of the American population in Paris, is a Democrat. He voted for Bernie Sanders in the primaries and Hillary Clinton in the general. He acknowledges that the Democratic Party could use some change but believes that Clinton was the leader that we needed.

Juliet Cimini is a sophomore from New Orleans and a moderate Republican. She did not vote this last election but she gladly shared her conservative narrative with us. 

Who did you vote for this presidential election and why?

Hague
I voted for Donald Trump. I did so for many reasons, but his promises to revamp the economy with more jobs and renegotiate things like NAFTA were key in my decision making. I also believed that Hillary Clinton would have been more years of the same cycle of political actions that I did not want for myself.

Nielsen
There are plenty of things that I dislike about Hillary Clinton but I liked the way that the country was going. If her administration was a continuation of the Obama administration I would be fine with that. Even though Clinton and the Democrats have a lot to work on, including campaign finance reform, I felt that would get done eventually. 

Cimini
I did not vote this previous year; however, if I were to vote, I would have voted for Donald Trump. I would have voted for Trump because he is ultimately has a solid plan for our country. I agree with his policies for health care and his motivation to increase the employment of Americans. Personally coming from a huge family with many expenses, Trump's tax plan suits my needs more than Hillary's.  I believe that it was a perfect time for a leader like Trump to step in and lead America towards a more economically stable country rather than further the previous actions of Obama.

Can you paint a picture of election night here at AUP?

Hague
I was at AUP and then home when the final tally came in.  It was honestly pretty crazy, everyone was so sure Hillary was going to win, myself included if I am being honest, and the emotions overtook a lot of people. 

Nielsen
There were at least 60 people at the AMEX and it was happy hour. Around 2 a.m. Trump won Florida and the mood completely changed. First it was general worry, followed by anxiety, and finally, depression, when we realized how many electoral votes were lost. There was a lot of shock and a few tears because we were sure that Clinton was going to win.

I knew that I would remember this election for the rest of my life because it was the first election that I ever voted in and my candidate did not win.

As soon as I arrived on campus the following day, EuroNews reporters were waiting outside of the building and wanted to interview American students, so I was on the news the day after the election. 

Cimini
I was at AUP when I heard Trump was elected President. I found that there was not a lot of acceptance or confusion for his administration, rather it was anger by Americans. I am a moderate Republican, so I understand both parties, but in this case, I was in favor for more of Trump’s policies. For the first month of Trump’s administration, every liberal and democrat expressed their opinions very openly. There was a lot of backlash. On multiple occasions, Parisians came up to me and said, ‘I’m so sorry for you all’. Within the past year, I witnessed more people expressing their opinions on an election than ever before; furthermore, I have never felt so inferior being the only person who supports Trump in a room full of very liberal peers.

Has your life been affected in any way following this presidential election?

Hague
Well, I wouldn't say too directly, but I have lost many friends due to the fact that political discourse often takes a bad turn when overly divulged into, even among the best of friends.

Cimini
My life has personally not been affected in any way since Trump’s administration.

Can you describe what it feels like to be an American abroad with the numerous negative headlines about the current administration?

Hague
It always feels kind of odd, and people are usually taken back when they know you support Trump.  But there is already so much press about our country in general that I feel I have been prepared for the onslaught of questions that inevitably come my way.  But, with some of the manners in which I believe the media often distorts the truth (Fox included, I am not that biased) I often receive a lot of flack or disdain when discussing the current administration abroad.

Nielsen
The first few months of news shocked me since my entire political consciousness was formed through the Obama administration. But now I feel a little desensitized to the headlines since I’m not there even though I still get the news every single day. I try to keep myself very informed through multiple different news outlets, American, French, British etc…

Cimini
I feel very discontent due to all the hatred and dysfunction in the States right now. I used to have the mindset that America represents unity and freedom, which it continues to still do, but on a different level. Now that I have left the States and view America from an outside perspective, with foreigners’ opinions interrupting, I find that America is less of the perfect country that I believed it was when I left New Orleans.

When reading such headlines from a distance how does that make you feel?

Hague
I don't feel too connected or disconnected because of the way we are able to instantaneously get news from across the world.  But when there are major events and protests I guess I consider myself lucky to be away from the unrest yet also unlucky because this is a pivotal time for my country.

Nielsen
I don’t have to be so connected to the United States or the repercussions of the Trump administration in order to recognize an abortion of justice. For example the Muslim ban, the wall, and the fact that he defends neo-nazi rallies in Charlottesville. 

Cimini
I feel very disconnected from American news when I am here in Paris. It is hard to stay updated with the news stories in America. When I am able check-in, I discover only cover stories and big events; whereas, when I was in America, I would hear news about the town over and numerous headlines in my own city. In Paris, I am only hearing about the main headlines of horrific and tragic events in the US; the news avoids any of the positive aspects that America offers. Looking in from a foreign perspective, the rest of the world must see only the chaos and dysfunction that America is displaying right now due to the news headlines.

Do you have any advice for your fellow students on staying connected and informed about the political climate back home?

Hague
My advice is to read the news.  All of it. Any sources unless they're so outrageous (I am thinking both the Huffington Post and Breitbart) can help gather an informed opinion with enough cultivation.  Don't use sites that tell you how to think, instead, I opt for websites like RealClearPolitics.com where there are links to sites from many sources.

Cimini
I would recommend downloading political apps, such as CNN, or browsing websites, such as NY Times and The Guardian, that will help you stay informed and aware of the activity in America.

What was it like for you returning home for the first time following the election?

Hague
Returning home felt normal, just a different picture on the wall in customs.  Nothing too crazy, just riots on the news struck me in a weird way.

I do want to add that I come from a family of immigrants and am very for Trump's tougher immigration policy.  It works for Canada and I think it is necessary.

Nielsen
Going back to Trump's America for the first time was different. My name is Ali and even though I'm not Muslim I still always get extra security at TSA. In order to not be profiled, I always wear a suit going back to the US because immigration officers tend to not pull me aside if I'm wearing a suit. I flew into Dublin where they have US pre-clearance to avoid going through customs once arriving in the States. As usual, I was selected to do an additional security check, so they put me through a full body scan and two very invasive pat downs.

The Irish security officer even apologized and told me that with the new administration, this is kind of the new normal. 

Cimini
The first time I returned home after the election was for Christmas. I did not personally find any difference in my life when I returned to New Orleans. Being from a southern state, majorly republican, most people were content with the outcome of the election.