Observing America from Abroad: My Interview with the Mannheimer Morgen on Trump’s Assassination Attempt
I am a sucker for good, local print journalism, which has become hard to come by in the U.S. context. Most local print newspapers in the U.S. have been bought up by large regional chains that source their information from profit and/or power-seekers rather than journalists doing their job.
So, when an actual journalist working for the Mannheimer Morgen reached out to Americans living in Mannheim for comments on the mood in America following Trump’s assassination attempt, I gladly accepted. I welcomed the opportunity to share my thoughts about America with my new friends and colleagues in Mannheim, where I will soon spend most of my days. I didn’t realize in the course of the interview-to-publication process (three days), one of the biggest decisions in the course of U.S. presidential history would occur.
I’m also usually quite a ways behind the news cycle, but for once, the answers I gave beat Biden and Kamala’s big announcement. These are the full answers I gave on the Friday before the piece was set to be published online (but after the Kamala news was bumped to Wednesday):
Are you currently in the US for the semester break or in Mannheim?
- I was in the US just before the assassination attempt for my dissertation defense — in Indiana (a Trump state) and then in Illinois (a Democratic stronghold).
What’s your age and subject of study?
- I am 32 years old, and that is such a German question! I’d never get that so directly in the U.S. context.
- I am studying the integration of minority groups into new cultural and political contexts. My PhD dissertation focused on the Greek minority in Albania and their identity transformations during and after communism. At the University of Mannheim (MZES), my postdoctoral research is expanding from its basis in Albania to countries with a significant Albanian minority population, including Greece, Italy, Germany, and the US. From Albania’s remarkable case, I am tracing the relationship between nationalism, immigration, and identity and building a theory on the factors driving these processes in post-communist contexts and the implications of decisions made at both the policy level and within individuals and families.
When you are in Mannheim, how much do you interest yourself in and engage with political developments in the USA?
- Whether in Mannheim, the U.S., or Albania, for that matter, you can’t escape U.S. politics. It’s everywhere.
- It’s funny though because I anticipated Mannheim being a good place to have some distance from my research on Albanians and the Greek minority (as well as from the U.S. political scene) to focus on my writing. But in reality, when I’m in Mannheim, I’m actively immersed in my research on identity and minority groups integrating into German culture, which I see in everyday interactions and local events — whether in local protests, the Albanians taking to the streets during the Euros, or memorializations for the recent police officer who was killed recently in Mannheim.
- To answer your question more directly, I’m still very engaged with U.S. politics in Mannheim because many of my close connections are still there, and I am open to continuing my career in the U.S. My field, and academia in general, remains pretty U.S.-driven. I follow U.S. political developments daily, though I feel less fearful about them while in Germany.
- My intimate connection to U.S. politics also helps me put German politics into perspective. For instance, the results of the far-right uptick in Germany’s recent election were alarming, but the fact that the majority of the people in power in Germany still believe in liberal democracy calms my nerves a bit. That’s not the case in the U.S. anymore.
How did you find out about the attack on Trump, and how did you react to it?
- I found out immediately because I was with my partner, and his friend saw it on X (formerly Twitter) immediately. I watched the video before we realized that Trump was actually hit. My immediate reaction to him standing up, seemingly unscathed, was still that “this is very good for Trump.” The bloodied photos and his immediate public reaction made it that much more remarkable.
- Another immediate reaction was that I called my aunt to tell her about it since she still gets her news from print media and was about to throw a dinner party. I imagine most people spoke to the people closest to them. It was a shocking moment for everyone — even in the context of rising political violence in the U.S.
Has the attack affected you personally, made you think more about it, or preoccupied you in any way over the past few days?
- The assassination attempt has indeed been on my mind these past few days, but not as an ever-present or particularly deep feeling. It was more so along the lines of, “Oh yeah, that actually happened.” Perhaps this is just the trauma of U.S. politics and my coping mechanism, though. It was only weeks ago that we learned that one of the presidential candidates had had a worm in his brain for quite some time. The drama is hard to keep up with.
- I’ve also seen conspiracy theories emerge from the right primarily, but also the left. I come from an Evangelical environment in the American South, where I’ve encountered theories framing the assassination attempt as an act of God, even using Biblical language. On the left, some suggested it was planned to help Trump win. “What if it went exactly according to plan?” one of my friends pondered.
- Personally, the assassination attempt has made me feel less hopeful and less motivated to mobilize for the upcoming election, but I expect to recover soon. There is still time left between now and November after all.
Do you feel that topics like Trump and the presidential elections are discussed differently in Germany compared to the USA?
- Definitely. In Germany, discussions about Trump and U.S. politics often portray them as undemocratic, unreliable, and somewhat insane. In the U.S., these topics are discussed as part of our reality.
- A German colleague predicted recently to me that neither outcome of the election will be good: either widespread violence or Trump as president again.
- My non-white American friends only half-jokingly ask if I can harbor them in Germany if Trump wins again. Will you sponsor us for EU citizenship “now that we’re about to have a god emperor?” is an example of an exact quote from my recent DMs. This made me laugh, but the concerns are very real especially for those who work in healthcare-related jobs but also almost any industry. The executive power controls quite a lot in the U.S. system and there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty wrapped up in who wins, which makes planning for one’s life, family, and career extremely challenging or pointless even.
How do you now view the US and its society from your German perspective?
- I wouldn’t say I have a German perspective yet, but one thing that has surprised me is that I talk about the US way more when I’m in Europe than in the US. In Europe, it is a topic of interest and I suppose I have some perspective most don’t have about the roots of the polarization because I lived it. But in the U.S., it’s just the sad reality. The only real relief is comedy.
- In seriousness though, I view the US liberal democratic system as worth preserving and still basically functioning — especially on the legal side of things. But I also view its goodness as gone and its virtues as unrecoverable without a system change. Living in Europe does not allow me to escape fully its ill effects (nor especially of a Trump presidency).
- I’m not a “patriot” for the U.S.; I prioritize democracy. In that sense, I am a “partisan” for democracy. I do love certain aspects of the U.S., though; I identify with it; and aspire for it to be a better and more inclusive entity. If Americans upset by political incompetence and events lose pride in the country, right-wing nationalists will fill that void, defining what it means to be American. So, I try to maintain my pride (expressed as shame, really) and try to find hope for what the US can still become — how our powers can be used for good, even still.
- One hopeful thing from Trump’s first election is how many women it inspired to run for office or become politically active. However, the darker side is that women have been targeted the most by Trump’s policies, whether regarding abortion rights or immigration.
What feelings do you have about the upcoming presidential elections? Has the attack changed those feelings in any way?
- Initially, I thought the assassination attempt would ensure Trump’s victory, and even if he had been killed or become unable to rule, it still would have been a win for the Republican Party.
- However, on further reflection, I believe it might prompt Biden to step down sooner, allowing more time for a younger, more promising candidate to build a successful campaign. So, it’s uncertain how things will unfold, but it certainly has made the election more interesting.
Looking back, some of my friends called my last answer prescient or even clairvoyant (lmao). I meant it as hopeful, though. In a time of democratic darkness and incredible uncertainty — amplified by candidates with brain worms and an “ear miss” of an assassination attempt — alas, a new Democratic candidate offers a glimmer of hope. #thanksBiden!
