There are only twenty days left before the American presidential election, and for some undecided people likely to tip the scales in favor of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, the choice is a difficult dilemma.
“I watch the news all the time and I’m exhausted,” says Lisa, a Pennsylvania voter who likes neither the Republican billionaire nor the Democratic vice-president.
“I have to vote, but I would like someone to offer us something better,” sighs this 55-year-old woman during an anonymous discussion group, organized this week by the public opinion consultancy Engagious.
Donald Trump “has good business sense and the economy was better when he was there, at least regarding inflation,” she emphasizes.
But if the ex-president returns to the White House, she fears his “negativity towards certain populations, certain religious groups, racism” and “that he takes revenge” on his opponents.
Driven by strong religious convictions, this health insurance broker could support Kamala Harris, but is scalded by her vigorous defense of the right to abortion.
“I have a lot of difficulty with this subject,” confides this independent voter, who voted for Donald Trump in 2016, then Joe Biden in 2020, like all the voters interviewed by Engagious.
The United States still has 5% of undecided voters, according to a study published Tuesday by the American Public Media Research Lab.
An ultra-coveted minority, particularly in the handful of key states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada) which will decide the vote.
“Same disdain”
These voters “don’t like to be rushed and they have the same disdain for the two main candidates,” observes Rich Thau, the boss of Engagious, who conducts discussion groups every month in a different pivotal state.
The thunderclap caused by the renunciation of President Joe Biden this summer did not make things easier for them. Because faced with Donald Trump and his violent rhetoric, Kamala Harris suffers from a lack of notoriety.
“They are forced to choose between someone they don’t like and someone they don’t know,” summarizes Mr. Thau for AFP.
Despite the presidential debate in early September, Bob has difficulty defining what Ms. Harris’ presidency would look like.
“I don’t know what his position is on anything, basically,” breathes this 45-year-old Pennsylvanian.
The Democrat says she wants to tax the richest and help small businesses. But her image is blurred by certain reversals, such as on hydraulic fracturing: after opposing this controversial hydrocarbon extraction process, she supports this job-creating industry in Pennsylvania.
She also regularly highlights her career as a magistrate in California. A somewhat short argument for Bob.
“She was a good prosecutor […]but that doesn’t really help me get an idea of what it can do for the country in general,” he continues.
“Keep your promises”
“Will she keep her promises? », asks Glenda, 41 years old. “I’m leaning towards her, but I’m not ready to take the plunge yet. »
This African-American voter appreciates the Democrat’s pro-abortion speech. But “this is not the only thing that I will take into account regarding the next president,” she adds.
The Pennsylvanian remains marked by the inflation of recent years and the surge in real estate in the United States. A field on which Donald Trump scores points.
However, she criticizes the Republican tribune for having described climate change as a “myth” in 2018.
Donald Trump “can sometimes be very irrational in his speeches, his positions, his actions,” agrees Greg, another independent voter.
But this forty-year-old admits to being “afraid” of M’s “lack of experience”.me Harris “to a position like the presidency.”
In the home stretch of the campaign, last-minute controversies make the choice even more complex.
Lisa, the insurance broker, remains appalled by Donald Trump’s lies concerning the government’s management of hurricanes Helen and Milton.
“It makes me feel negative emotions towards him. So I want to see how it will go,” she says. “A lot can happen in the coming month. »