The President-elect’s closest circle of advisers seem to be selected on the basis of trust and experience.
Stateside narratives have a tendency to be imported into UK politics – one of the knock-on effects of this messy Presidential election outcome.
In his speech, he quoted from the Bible, in its best and most traditional version: yet more evidence of his own conservatism.
Perhaps he will contest the 2024 presidential contest at the age of nearly 82. But expectation that he may not will surely undermine his authority.
It’s very early to draw conclusions from America’s elections – though the President’s challenge to the results has been coming for some time.
The fact, however, that he has won five million more votes than he did in 2016 does tell us that we cannot write him off as an aberration.
Fewer than one in four are holding out for Biden. Does this reflect their view of which will be better for Britain, or simply instinctive mistrust of the Left?
“Trump lies a lot and Biden’s kind of not all there.” And it’s less than a week to go until voting day.”
Many felt the election was going to be close – and that, whatever the outcome, there was a widespread expectation that things would get messy.
The worst-case scenario for polling day and the weeks that follow is illegal, armed militias imposing themselves on polling stations and state capitols.
Several of our participants remained undecided. They wanted to hear more about where both candidates stood on policy, especially healthcare.
“I could see this dragging out for weeks…we probably won’t know who’s president until late December or early January.”
With Trump’s health still uncertain and Biden an even older man, Pence v Harris may turn out to be very important indeed.
There are all sorts of explanations about why people voted the “wrong” way. But the simplest may be the appeal of conservative values.