My Immigrant Housemates Preferred Trump

by Nico Butler for Migrant Insider

WASHINGTON– A week ago, I promised my seven housemates that I’d host a watch party on Election Day. It was a commitment I made lightly at the time, never fully realizing how much it would come to mean to me. I told them I’d stay up until 3 AM to keep everyone updated, to help them understand what was happening in real time. 

My housemates, all from different corners of the world—Rwanda, China, Turkey, Morocco, Bangladesh—support Trump, but they didn’t fully grasp how our election system worked. They trusted me to explain it to them.

As the night approached, the air was filled with a sense of camaraderie. They made chai, we ordered pizza, we feasted on Turkish food, and sipped Coca-Cola, each bite and sip woven into the fabric of the evening’s quiet excitement. We discussed who we thought might lead the country we had chosen to call home.

As the night wore on, state after state fell into place, redder and redder, like a slow-moving shift that couldn’t be stopped. Every new result seemed to hit them harder than the last. They were shocked that Trump’s victory wasn’t just possible, it was becoming inevitable.

"I admire Trump’s straightforwardness," said one of my housemates. "He doesn’t sugarcoat things. If I were American, I’d vote for him, because he puts America first. He makes America economically strong, and I admire that. The little things he does—they mean a lot to Americans, to me, even if people don’t see it."

Amine, from Morocco, shook his head. "I’m an immigrant myself," he said, his voice heavy with experience. "But if I were American, I wouldn’t want to see immigrants flooding the streets, competing for my job. I know how it is in my country, with all the people coming from the south of the Sahara. It hurts the economy. I’d vote for Trump because he protects jobs, he protects the economy. And that’s what matters most."

Syed, from Bangladesh, was blunt. "Trump would fix the economy. He’ll end the war in Ukraine, and stop the pointless wars. Trump tells it like it is. If I were American, I’d vote for him, no question. He’ll cut taxes and bring prosperity back. It might take time, but he’s the one who can make it happen."

Chaste, from Rwanda, sat there with a grin, confident in a way that felt almost heartbreaking. He believed so fully in Trump’s victory that he went to bed early, expecting to wake up to the news of his win.

But how could migrants support a man whose rhetoric often seemed to paint them as the enemy? How could they place their trust in someone who, on the surface, seemed so hostile to everything they represented?

Yet, as the night unfolded, it became clear. For them, it wasn’t about the man. It was about the economy. They were willing to overlook his rhetoric because, for many of them, it wasn’t personal. It was survival. They didn't feel attacked by his words—they were focused on the bigger picture: the promise of stability, of prosperity, of a future where they could stand on solid ground. For them, that mattered more than any politician's words.

As I sat there, listening to them, I realized just how deeply the stakes were for everyone in that room. They weren’t just choosing a political figure—they were choosing a vision of the future. Their vision, their hopes, were wrapped up in the idea that America could deliver on its promise of opportunity. Even if that meant embracing a man whose policies seemed to fly in the face of their own stories.

Even as they acknowledged his flaws—his anti-immigrant rhetoric, his sexism, his chaotic leadership—they still rallied behind him. Our house was full of their voices, all clamoring for the businessman they believed was better for America, even as his policy priorities seem at odds with their very existence.

This post was edited by Pablo Manríquez.