“Donald Trump wants to be a dictator”: Dual citizens weigh in on the result of the US presidential election

After months of ambient dread and deadlocked polls, the results are finally in—and Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States (again). On election night in Toronto, dual citizens gathered at a Democrats Abroad watch party at the Lithuanian House to see the results roll in. As votes began stacking in Trump’s favour, the energy in the room shifted from hopeful anticipation to devastated disbelief. Here, Americans in Toronto tell us what scares them most about another four years of Trump, how the result will reverberate in Canada and why they won’t be moving south of the border any time soon.

Charles Davis, 75, retired professor

Dual citizen from Illinois

What do you find most alarming about Trump leading the country again? He’s crazy. He’s a crazy, vicious fascist. If you listen to what he says, it’s just awful. His words are not a joke. We need to take it seriously when he talks about concentration camps, deportation and political violence. I’m appalled that so many people in the States think he’s fit to be president. It’s disgraceful.

Related: Meet the people who moved to Toronto to escape Donald Trump
Would you consider moving back to the US after this? I identify as a Canadian now. I’ve been here for 49 years, and I don’t plan on returning to America. But, with everything that’s been going on in the States, I knew I needed to get involved and vote regardless. I didn’t vote in 2016, and I regret it. I’ve been making sure to cast my ballot ever since.

Do you think the result of this election will affect Canadian politics? Trumpism would be a disaster for Canada. Xenophobic and racist policies, dividing people based on their cultures and races—it would be absolutely disastrous. Luckily, I don’t see our politicians going as far with it, even the conservatives. But, if it did take hold here, it would be bad.

Gary Williams, 77, retired theater manager

Dual citizen from Tennessee

What concerns do you have about Trump’s return to the White House? He is a populist and a neo-fascist. He appeals to people’s worst instincts. He sets people up to dislike the other. They don’t really vote for him; they vote against somebody else, whether it’s immigrants, women, liberals, socialists, you name it. He’ll find an enemy anywhere he goes.

What do you see as the biggest issues at stake in this election? Protecting democracy and making foreign affairs better in Ukraine and the Middle East.

How did you feel seeing Trump win by such a clear margin? Very sad and disappointed.

Jennifer Horvath, 54, television producer

Dual citizen (never lived in the US)

What frightens you the most about a second Trump presidency? Knowing that the majority of people have chosen to align themselves with someone who is racist, misogynist and generally hateful. It really makes me wonder about the people around me when I’m in the US.

Have you considered moving down to the States? Definitely not recently.

Which were the most important issues to you in this election? Abortion and health care. I find it so difficult to understand how anyone is against providing free health care to everyone.

Reg Charney, owner of a software company

Dual citizen from Colorado

Why did you vote for Harris? Kamala is reasonable and hasn’t done anything really stupid, like Trump has on multiple occasions, legally and politically. It’s depressing to listen to Trump speak. He’s a whiner. Trump’s foreign policy is in shambles. He wants to become an isolationist. It’s a disaster. I believe in democracy, and Trump is doing everything he can to destroy that. I also believe women should control their own bodies.

If you had to pick one issue that concerns you the most, what would it be? It would be the destruction of our democratic processes. Trump wants to be a dictator. He wants to jail his opponents and disenfranchise the media. He wants to run a police state. But the person who really scares me is J. D. Vance. I don’t think Trump will survive four years in the White House, meaning Vance would eventually step up. He is young, smart, has no morals and is in it for power. It’s alarming.

Sue Alksnis, early 60s, program manager and membership secretary for Democrats Abroad

Long-term permanent resident from Long Island

What are your biggest concerns about having Trump as the president of the United States? Everything. He’s unstable. The thought of him having control again is frightening. It makes me worried about all kinds of things—health care, parental leave, union and organizing rights, climate change, military policies.

Why was it important for you to vote even though you live abroad? I see what is possible in so many other countries that have elected politicians who are working for the betterment of their people. America has still not achieved that. Don’t get me wrong, there are some wonderful things about America. It’s an amazing place. But there should be parental leave and universally accessible, affordable health care.

How are you feeling? It’s mind-boggling that this is where the American political situation is at.

Jacqui Knowles, 51, freelance editor

Dual citizen from Tennessee

How do you feel about another four years of Trump? I’ve been strongly opposed to Donald Trump for years now. I want to stop paying attention to him. I’m tired of the drama–he feeds off that.

What scares you the most about his administration? The fact that people are voting on other people’s rights. It feels like we’re going backward.

What issues were important to you in this election? The environment, civil rights, abortion. Since I don’t live in the US anymore, I’d have liked to see some sanity in foreign policies going forward.

With Trump in office, would you ever consider moving back to Tennessee? There are lots of different people in Tennessee. It’s not just one group, even if it looks that way on the map. Still, I can imagine it must be really intimidating and stressful walking around and seeing MAGA hats everywhere. I haven’t lived in the States for a long time. I feel like I wouldn’t fit in anymore.

Kate Cohen, 56, ESL teacher

Dual citizen from Michigan

Why did you vote for Harris? We were long overdue for a female president, and I liked what she stood for.

What makes you most nervous about Trump as president? I’m scared that we’ll see more erosion of human rights for anybody who is not an old cisgender white guy.

Are you worried about the effects of this election result on Canada? Definitely. I’m afraid it will give a foothold to conservatives here who think along the same lines. That’s super scary to me, the fact that what we’re seeing in the States could happen here. We are already on our way.

How are you feeling right now? I just don’t get it. I’m still trying to understand how people can vote for Trump.

Joseph Cristiano, 45, radio broadcast producer

Dual citizen from Brooklyn

What’s your greatest anxiety about a Trump presidency? Where do I start? The idea that we are going to strip away people’s fundamental rights is terrifying. And the idea that he is trying to chip away at the foundation of democracy. We’re going to wake up one day and wonder how we got to where we are. Trump is one thing, but what scares me most is the people below him who are working to divide the US as much as possible.

Have you ever lived in the States under Trump? I was living there when he won in 2016. I moved to Toronto soon afterward. It was perfect timing. Now I’m Canadian, and I’ve been in Toronto ever since. At least in New York, though, we were kind of in our own bubble. My co-worker was commuting from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Every day she would say to me, “You don’t know what it’s like out there.” She was right, and it’s scary.

What do you imagine as the worst case scenario? I’m deathly afraid that the US will stop being a democracy. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but with the kind of things Trump says—he has me worried.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.