This is a sad day for all of us who want a more compassionate world and a better politics. The unthinkable has happened and it will have ramifications for millions across the globe.
Trump’s return to the White House followed a campaign marked by lies and inflammatory, divisive rhetoric. His message centred on harsh, racist policies, describing undocumented immigrants as “animals” with “bad genes” and vowing mass deportations. Dismissing his criminal indictments as political attacks, he pledged “retribution” against opponents and even threatened to deploy military force against “enemies from within.”
We have to learn the lessons from his win
We have to learn from what has happened in America. We have to act to prevent hate and disinformation from being spread.
While the votes were being countered across the States, I was in Australia with Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth. The mood was sombre but determined. We have to defend our democracies and protect the institutions which keep us safe.
My message was simple. We are not powerless. There are actions that can be taken. We can legislate against disinformation and we can take action to make social media companies responsible for the lies and hate they spread.
The question is will we?
The far right is organising. This summer’s riots gave a flavour of what could be to come if we don’t take decisive action. The time to act is now.
We are already working with the Welsh government on a law to prevent political deception which we are pushing Westminster to adopt and later this week we will be giving the government a blueprint for modernising parliament so that we can shore up democracy.
We cannot allow our hard fought for rights to be rolled back. The darker things grow the harder we need to shine our light of truth and compassion.
While I am deeply troubled by Trump’s victory, I believe it reveals an even deeper issue in our global politics: a lack of empathy. Trump’s message resonated because people feel forgotten, reduced to statistics, and left to suffer.
What we need is a new approach to politics—one driven by empathy and compassion. We need leaders who truly understand the struggles within our communities and are dedicated to finding compassionate solutions. This is how we will overcome the divisive populism of leaders like Donald Trump.
If you want to support Compassion in Politics become a member and help share our message with the world. We need a new kinder politics.
Kind regards
Jennifer