As the US elections are nearing towards the final stages, President Donald Trump is receiving huge support from Indian Americans, particularly in some decisive states. This sudden surge of support from Indian Americans is seen to be an unprecedented factor as they have mostly leaned towards Democrats in the past. It can prove to turn the tides heavily on President Trump’s favor for a second term. Detailed insights on this matter come from a survey by the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee.
The survey lists down a total of 12 key factors that have led to most Indian Americans backing Trump in the 2020 presidential campaign. However, they also mention that one of the most important factors is the bond between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has only grown stronger recently. Both leaders of two important nations on the global scale, Trump and Modi, have shared the center stage quite a few times on numerous platforms and have made their support for each other evident.
After the Covid-19 global breakout, both US and India haven’t exactly been on friendly terms with China. So, most Indian Americans are in strong favor of seeing Trump as President of the US for four more years, believing that the friendship between Trump and Modi is essential for both countries to rival China on a global scale, according to the survey. While this has been the most decisive factor for Indian American voters backing President Trump, there are some more key factors mentioned in the survey.
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President’s Trump interest and eagerness in India’s important affairs, such as his support towards the Indian government’s decision on Jammu and Kashmir, have been attributed as another key factor by the survey. The survey explains that while US Presidents in the past and Trump’s current opposition prefer to stay silent on Indian affairs, Trump has been very vocal about such matters. It has brought more attention to India on the global platform and painted a positive picture of President Trump in the eyes of Indian Americans.
Even though Indian Americans have traditionally supported the Democratic Party in the past, this change in allegiance is not just a result of just the Trump-Modi friendship factor. The survey also highlights that the passive approach of Biden is partly responsible for it. Biden has traveled very few public appearances and hasn’t traveled much in the campaign, whereas Trump has been aggressively conduction rallies and has traveled to 17 states so far.
Biden’s campaign has stated that their approach is in accordance with the ongoing pandemic and their passive approach is for the safety of public health. However, this well-intended approach has also left many people unimpressed with his performance in the election battle, suggests the survey. Many Democrats have also voiced similar opinions, expressing that they would want the Biden campaign to adopt a more energetic approach despite the current social and healthcare scenario.
The sudden support from Indian-origin voters can prove to be a huge boost for President Trump’s campaign. Securing victory in states like Florida, Michigan, Georgia, and Texas is proven to be decisive in the past elections. And the population of Indian American voters is well above 100,000 in each of these states. With most of them voting for President Trump, the Democratic party could face a sharp downfall in these tough territories, which may prove to be a huge loss for them, especially towards the end of the elections.
The ending period of election campaigns usually proves to be very hectic and extremely decisive. And the survey points towards President Trump and his republican side slowly gaining the upper hand against Democrats. Trump’s fierce stance against China, his urge to hold them responsible for the global pandemic, his strong bond with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his keen interest in Indian affairs, followed by a somewhat slow and passive campaign by his opposition Biden could very well see him taking the seat for a second term as the President of the US.
