Jacob Wesoky, vice-president of Canada’s Democrats Abroad, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the 2024 U.S. Election and the future of the Democratic Party.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: What are you reading about why so many Americans trust Trump?

Jacob Wesoky: It’s clear that Donald Trump won this election fair and square. We will not deny any election results. This is part of the democratic process. I strongly disagree with that conclusion, but it was the outcome and I will respect it.

I think a lot of people support Trump because fear mongering is unfortunately a dangerous but very effective campaign strategy. Donald Trump has really played on people’s fears, he’s played on the divisions in our country, and he’s really used them to his advantage.

I think that was also demonstrated by the amount of votes he received on a divisive and hateful platform. The number one reason for this is fear mongering, plain and simple.

MH: What does this say about the effort your party is making? Why Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party missed the mark

: You’ll be analyzing a lot of what went wrong over the next month, but I think the number one thing is right: our country is deeply divided.

I think Kamala Harris is an extremely bright and qualified candidate, and I think there may be some difficulty in conveying how strict the contract is between her and Donald Trump.

But he also often ran his campaign in three months over a two-year period. Considering all the challenges, I think he ran a very, very good campaign. And once again, I’m disappointed, but that was the American people’s choice.

MH: What about Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office? How different is Trump’s second presidency perhaps from his first?

: There are so many things that can happen. For the sake of America and the world, I hope most of this will not happen; but based on his actions, his words, his past statements, as well as the people who worked most closely with him. His first administration could be a disaster.

He is trying to undermine our democratic institutions, he has encouraged violence against journalists, he has encouraged violence against his political opponents, he has said he will be a dictator from day one. And for the sake of the United States, for the sake of democracy, I really hope that he is not a dictator from day one. I hope our checks and balances can control this, and I hope our democratic system is strong enough to withstand blatant attacks on our democratic institutions.

MH: Isn’t it possible for Trump to surprise the critics, bring good governance to the White House, improve the fortunes of your nation?

: I hope this is possible because all I want is good governance. I want our country to progress and not be stuck in the past.

If his actions, his words, his platform, his close allies, and the people around him are any indication of what his second presidency will be like, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

MH: Are there lessons we as Canadians can learn from the outcome of this election?

: I think the number one thing is to try not to get caught up in fear. I think this is a universal message that compassion, kindness, and unity are a good philosophy to have.

Unfortunately, this is not the choice of the American people. I think we have a lot to learn but at the end of the day we are all human beings and we should respect that, respect each other and respect each other’s differences.

MH: What does leadership within your party mean now?

: I’ll defer that to the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and the (Democratic National Committee) leadership.

Kamala Harris has definitely pioneered a new generation of leadership and I hope that continues and we get young leaders.

We saw that there was still some good news on the ballot, some positive history making happening. We helped Josh Stein win the governorship in North Carolina. It will be the first time two black women will serve in the Senate at the same time: Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland.

There is some good news and I think our democracy is still strong for now and I hope it stays that way.