Trump is the president who has given me the most extra work

Jørn Brøndal is currently in the media morning, noon and night – in fact, every hour of the day and night is prime time when the Americans are electing a new president and you are among Denmark’s leading experts on the USA.  

The media attention has been anything but diminished by the unprecedentedly dramatic 2024 election campaign, including multiple attempted shootings of Republican presidential candidate Trump and the late substitution of Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate.      

Nevertheless, Brøndal is of course available. Both when journalists call from media all over the country, and when we ask for an interview on the occasion of his 25th anniversary at SDU. Because his knowledge is there to be shared and to make a difference in society.  

1. Why is communication so important to you as a researcher?

– It’s incredibly important to me that all my knowledge of American affairs is made tangible and useful in society and in the public debate. My hope is always to contribute with a deeper insight into what kind of a country the USA is – for better and for worse.  

– As a researcher, I feel obliged to reach out and share my knowledge in the media and in presentations across the country. Since I happen to have some insight into the world’s leading superpower, I’d love to share it with anyone who wants to listen. At the same time, it’s incredibly fun to get out and talk to people about what’s happening in the US.  

2. Which president has made it most interesting to be an expert?

– The election of Obama as president was very inspiring. He almost seemed to be a kind of fulfilment of the American Dream that everyone should have a chance – although, of course, huge challenges remain in practice, not least when it comes to race. On the other hand, Trump is the president who has given me the most extra work. During his presidency, I woke up almost every morning to headlines about what Trump had said or done that needed to be commented on and analysed in the media.  

– However, as a historian, I am equally fascinated by the presidents of the past: Lincoln was a great rhetorician, Franklin D. Roosevelt redefined the presidency and laid the foundations of the American welfare state, and Lyndon Johnson helped implement civil rights laws that banned racial discrimination in public places and gave African Americans the right to vote. And I could probably go on and on throughout US political history.  

3. What is your absolute favourite thing from the US? 

– The obvious answer would be: the hospitality or the beautiful nature. But honestly, the Declaration of Independence from 1776 stands out to me in a particularly beautiful light. 

It’s an admirable document, I think, that reaches for the sky and far beyond its time. It sets out ideals of freedom and equality that Americans are still struggling to live up to today. But at least they have the ideals. And generally speaking, the tension between practice and founding ideals is a major theme in US history.  

4. Where the US would you prefer to live? 

– I love the Midwest, where I’ve lived twice. Here you’ll find the famous American courtesy and hospitality that makes it homely and easy to become part of the community. Many Americans have an extra social muscle that comes from living in a highly mobile society in which you change classes in school every year and move around a lot. I really like that about Americans.  

– So I would probably choose Madison, Wisconsin, where I lived both in 1989–1990 and again in 1994–95. It’s a really homely and safe city with a relaxed atmosphere, a great university and a lot of culture. Almost every year, the city is ranked at the top of the list of the ‘most liveable cities’ in the US. Living in New York would definitely also be amazing.   

5. What will be the result of the elections in November?

Of course, I can’t predict that. However, we know that it is highly likely that Trump will be saying that he won the election – regardless of what the data shows. In 2016, Trump refused to acknowledge that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, even though he won the Electoral College. And he has never recognised Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.