US election: How Trump has tested the marriage of an elderly couple | US News
When America was truly great, its backbone was forged in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
This is where the steel for 80% of Manhattan’s skyscrapers, many of the US Navy’s battleships, and even the entire San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge was produced in blast furnaces located in the hills north of Philadelphia.
The mammoth steel plants, stretching for almost five miles, now lie empty and unused, serving as a massive open-air museum for guided tours led by former plant workers like Don Young.
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Don Young, 87, has been married to Barbara for 20 years, but their marriage has been tested in recent months due to the highly divisive presidential election.
While both are Republicans, Barbara supports Donald Trump while Don emphatically does not.
When asked if he believed Trump’s promise to make America great again, Don replied, “No, I do not believe him. My wife does. I’ve seen the rise of dictators in history. As much as I am a studier of the history of industry, I’m also a studier of the history of politics and world politics. And, you know, Mr Trump’s campaign literally mirrors that of Adolf Hitler.”
Barbara sees Trump in a completely different light, stating, “I absolutely do not agree with that. And I’m sorry to hear my husband say this. And I actually believe we have seen what President Trump can do and how our country was when he was in office.”
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Mr Young now offers tours of the former steel plants
Trump ‘is the future for America’, Ms Young says
While their town has recovered from the collapse of Bethlehem Steel, Barbara is now worried about the state of America and believes that Trump is the one who can save it.
“He is the future for America,” she said. “I don’t want to see people coming over our border. We’ve had women murdered and raped by illegal immigrants. Who wants their children dead as a result of fentanyl, which comes over the border?”
Trump is ‘going to run America into the ground’
Don, however, holds a different view. He believes that Trump will lead America into decline by not following the established norms of democracy.
“He didn’t observe them when he was in office. And so that’s just a window on what will happen in this coming term.”
Pennsylvania will likely determine presidential election result
Their differing views on Trump reflect the divisive nature of their state, Pennsylvania. The polls show the state to be split right down the middle, and the outcome here will likely decide the result of the election in this crucial swing state.
One thing they agree on is their eagerness for the end of the election season.
Don believes their marriage can withstand a Trump victory, and Barbara shares this sentiment.
As the closest, nastiest, and most divisive presidential election in living memory comes to an end, the bitterness and division may linger in this deeply polarized country.
